Franklin Marte, 28, underwent brain surgery Wednesday after he was assaulted with a cobblestone just before 5 a.m. last week on Brook Avenue in Mott Haven.
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Authorities say the suspect stomped on and kicked the victim, before grabbing another cobblestone and hitting him with it.
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Marte was taken to Lincoln Hospital with severe head injuries.
The tears flowed down mom Ana Valenzuela's face as she tried to talk about her son.
His sister Yanaris says Marte has sickle cell disease and was coming back from a Manhatthan hospital after blood work when he was attacked.
He didn't see or hear the suspect coming behind him, and he fell right to the ground after being hit in the head.
"My brother cannot eat, can't talk," Yanaris said. "He didn't even let my brother defend himself. He was trying to kill him, not rob him. Kill him."
Marte has 59 stitches in his head, and thankfully, his family says he is responsive.
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"I'm able to talk to him," Yanaris said. "He listened to me. He grab my hand tight, but he's not talking."
He has a long road to recovery ahead, but his family is thankful he wasn't killed.
"I really feel sad," Yanaris said. "I pray to God every day to keep my brother alive, to bring him back how he was. The way I see him is not easy. It's going to take a long time for him to recover."
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Police say it appears the attack was random and unprovoked, and they are searching for a motive and the suspect
"Hopefully the police catch him," Yanaris said. "I can't sleep thinking he's outside still."
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Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
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