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NYPD: 70-Year-Old Man With Cane Mugged On Park Avenue

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD is looking for a suspect after they say video shows a man with a cane being pushed to the ground and mugged as people walk by on the street.

The surveillance video shows the suspect come up to the 70-year-old man from behind around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday on Park Avenue South near East 23rd Street in Kips Bay.

The suspect puts his hand in the victim's pocket, ordering him to "drop it," CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported. Startled, the man with the cane falls to the ground.

The suspect is then seen swooping in, taking the victim's wallet off the sidewalk. But when the suspect sees other people approaching, police said he helps the victim back on his feet.

That's when police said the suspect helps himself to $15 from the victim's wallet before returning it to him and taking off, heading westbound on East 24th Street.

Many people were shocked by the daring daytime robbery.

"It's really scary, especially if it's right here, right on Park Avenue," Kips Bay resident Phil Dibert told Burrell. "People always walking down there. Surprised he was able to do that."

"It's a shame no one could help him and stop the guy from doing what he was doing," said resident Beau Pierce.

"It's horrible. You have to always be on high alert and hopefully if you see something or say something and try and help if you can," said resident Melissa Schwartz.

Police said the suspect was seen wearing a black knit cap, a gray hooded sweater with red lining, a black jacket and camouflage shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

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