2 more suspects in custody in brutal beating of Bronx street vendor; 2 sought
MELROSE, Bronx (WABC) -- Police say two more suspects are in custody in the brutal beating of a Bronx street vendor, with two more still on the loose.
An 18-year-old man (pictured above) was apprehended Thursday morning, and charges are pending. The first suspect surrendered to authorities on Tuesday.
The NYPD identified him as 21-year-old William Burgess, who allegedly attacked 53-year-old Soueymane Porgo after the victim stopped him from shoplifting a purse. He is charged with gang assault.
The incident, captured on cell phone video, happened in the late afternoon on May 2 at the corner of East 149th Street and Third Avenue in the Melrose section.
As seen in the video, five suspects approached Porgo, a father of two, at his purse stand and began punching him repeatedly before leaving him on the ground unconscious.
Police say the second suspect now in custody is the individual in the video wearing black with a ponytail. It is unclear who the third suspect is, but two others remain wanted in connection with the incident.
The remaining suspects are believed to be from the area, and community leaders are demanding the neighborhood give them up.
"I don't know how much more clear we can be, to tell people that the snitching is out the window," City Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson said. "We want you to say something if you see something."
