Police: Suspect, Person Of Interest Sought After Woman Assaults 10-Year-Boy
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are searching for two women after one of them allegedly assaulted a 10-year-old boy in a Bronx deli last month.
The assault occurred around 2 p.m. on Aug. 19 at 271 E. 206th St. in the borough's Norwood section, police said.
"And then she punched me in my nose," said Mohammed Almontsir.
Mohammed had just breezed into his father's deli on a scooter when he suddenly incurred the wrath -- and ultimately the first -- of one angry customer; all of it caught on video.
Police: Suspect, Person Of Interest Sought After Woman Assaults 10-Year-Boy
The woman was apparently irate because she considered the boy's curt request for a bag as rude, CBS2's Steve Langford reported.
"She told me to say please and I said it's none of her business," Mohammed said.
The video then shows the woman being held back by a companion before quickly getting right in the boy's face.
"She cursed at me and then I just backed away and ran," Mohammed said.
You can't hear on the video what each person is saying, but you can see the woman chase the boy down an aisle and appearing to smack him, Langford reported. Seconds later, as Mohammed tries to get away at the front of the store, she appears to punch him in the nose.
"How would you feel if someone touched your kid? I mean, it boils inside of me, even if it's a woman -- older woman, whatever," said Mohammed's dad, Ibrahim.
Ibrahim had returned to the deli moments after the incident, and said he's glad the woman was gone because police had to restrain him.
Video showing his bewildered son nursing a bloody nose is an image Ibrahim is unable to erase from his mind.
"If it would have been a guy, I probably would have crushed his bones," he said.
"He's a little kid, why does she do that?" said Norwood resident Viviane Osorio.
But not everyone in the neighborhood is so shocked.
"Obviously his child must have deserved to have gotten hit because every day there's a situation that's going on in this store," said resident Joann Gardner.
Relatives of the woman live around the area and have been back to the store since, according to Ibrahim. He said they've told him it's not their problem and to take it up with her, Langford reported.
The suspect is described as black, 35 to 45 years old and with long, braided hair. She was last seen wearing a dark-colored skirt and white button-down shirt with a black design on it.
The woman's female companion is wanted for questioning. She is described as black and 25 to 30 years old. She was last seen wearing a hat and black T-shirt with a design on the front of it.
They are asking anyone with information about to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-8477 or to submit a tip online at NYPDCrimeStoppers.com. All communications are kept confidential.
