NBC New York
November 7, 2014
Police are searching for two robbers who allegedly attacked an 81-year-old man as he was withdrawing money from a Queens ATM after attending church on a Sunday morning.
The victim, Bill Eichhorn, went to a Chase bank ATM along Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside at about 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 26 to get money for a bagel and newspaper after church when the robbers assaulted him and threw him to the ground, he said.
“I started to yell for help, but no one was around,” he said. “I resisted a little, but I knew I couldn’t do anything.”
The men got away with $100 and the victim’s debit card. The attack left Eichhorn, who is legally blind and on blood thinners, with injuries on his face and arms.
“I was so happy when they left with just $100 and didn’t pursue it,” he said.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said finding the suspects was crucial.
“If they’d punch one 81-year-old in the face, they’d punch another 81-year-old in the face,” he said.
Eichhorn said he never saw where his attackers came from, but after he was knocked down, a stranger helped him up and called police. His daughter wants to find the good Samaritan who came to her father’s aid.
“We just want to say thank you,” said Mary Ann Gasparro. “We are grateful that someone took the time to take care of him.”
Anyone who recognizes the suspects in the surveillance images released by NYPD is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.