Police say the attack happened Sunday morning around 9:45 on West 110th Street, across the street from a facility that is currently housing asylum seekers.
Sources tell Eyewitness News a group of men were drinking and being unruly - even throwing bottles at people and cars.
Seeing the chaos, police say a 35-year-old man passing by told the crowd to essentially knock it off. That is when five to eight men turned on the victim punching and kicking him.
One person who saw the assault did not want to be identified.
"They chased him off...he went off that way somewhere," he said.
The 35-year-old ran towards the building next door looking for help. The suspects were right behind him, but the front door was locked.
Sources say the injured man tried getting in, and it appears he may have kicked the glass, shattering it. A bloody handprint was on the front stoop where paramedics helped the victim.
The suspects then reportedly punched another man in the face who tried to intervene.
One woman says ever since the center opened, there have been problems.
"I feel totally unsafe," she said.
Police took one person into custody and are looking for several more.
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