29-year-old Marco Tomas of Manhattan is charged with second-degree assault in connection to the attack.
The incident happened just before 5 p.m. on Friday at 400 W. 43rd Street near Ninth Avenue. Police say Tomas approached the 85-year-old before punching him in the head.
"Actually seeing him on the floor with all the blood around him - it was heartbreaking. You know, I have a granddad," said eyewitness Juan Rivera.
Police huddled at the corner just steps away from David Kholikov's fruit stand after the attack. At a bustling corner packed with delis, cafes and restaurants, Kholikov says not much surprises him anymore.
"You know what else is shocking to me? Like a couple of weeks ago, someone was throwing rocks right here," he said.
Kholikov says the rocks were being thrown from the balcony of a nearby building and hit a fruit stand customer in the neck.
"I wanna have a normal day. I'm a hardworking person - I've been working here for more than 10 years and I just want to do the job and take care of the customers," he added.
Soon after the man was punched, crowds of people filled the same street corner. Unbeknownst to them, the attack could've happened to any of them.
"Most of the time my husband is at work, so I'm by myself with the baby and the dog, so I always walk around with mace," Manhattan resident Pam Gala said.
Some say more police foot patrols might help, and possibly a closer look at the area.
The 85-year-old victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.
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