Exclusive: Man shot in parking dispute in the Bronx tells his story; woman sought by NYPD
MORRIS HEIGHTS, Bronx (WABC) -- A man who was shot and wounded after a parking dispute in the Bronx is telling his story to Eyewitness News.
The man, who only wants to be identified as Keith, was released from the hospital Saturday. He said it all happened back on July 28th around 8:15 p.m.
He was double-parked in front of a home in the 1800 block of Popham Avenue -- and his pregnant girlfriend was in the car with him.
"I wasn't looking for any trouble, I was just parking, waiting for a friend to come down stairs," Keith said.
Suddenly a woman pulled up in a car behind them and started honking, telling them to move. A man was in the passenger's seat of that car and a woman with red hair was sitting in the back seat.
"She was saying, do I think I own the road, the girl in the back started arguing too," Keith said.
The car eventually pulled away, and the victim and his girlfriend thought it was over.
But that is when they pulled up to the next corner, made a U turn, and parked on the other side of the street to get out of the way of other cars.
They had gotten out and were on the sidewalk when suddenly the man who had been in the other car came walking down the sidewalk with a gun drawn.
"My girl pulled his arm down with the gun and he shoved her off and pointed it at her, I tried to run back to try and defend her and that's when he turned around and shot me," the victim said.
He opened fire, striking Keith in the back and hitting another person in the arm before fleeing.
Keith was taken to an area hospital where he spent six days recovering. He was fortunate. The bullet passed through him without damaging major organs.
Keith's girlfriend wasn't hurt and they are excited about having their first child, but are still clearly rattled by what happened.
"I feel like she's the bravest of them all and I'm grateful for that," Keith said.
The suspect and the other people with him in that other car remain on the loose and police are looking for them.
Detectives released surveillance video and a photo of the woman with red hair who had been sitting in the back seat of the suspect's car.
She was recorded by a surveillance camera in the area and police hope she will lead them to the gunman.
Anyone with information about her is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips.
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