The attack happened inside Grant Park near East 169th Street and Grant Avenue in the Claremont section around 6 p.m. on April 17.
Police say the victim was playing with a friend, throwing water on each other inside the park when some of the water apparently splashed on the suspect, making him upset.
The male suspect, preliminarily identified as a 19-year-old, then retaliated, according to police, punching the 9-year-old numerous times in the face and striking him with a cable charger.
The suspect fled the location on foot northbound on Sheridan Avenue.
The child suffered a laceration to the face and was taken to BronxCare Health System in stable condition. He is expected to survive his injuries.
Police say the suspect and victim are not known to each other.
They released an image of the person they are looking for in hopes it will lead to an arrest.
Anyone with information regarding 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). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/or on X @NYPDTips.
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