Photo of person of interest released after street vendor dies following fight outside New York City deli

WABC logo
Thursday, October 8, 2020
Photo of suspect released after street vendor dies following fight
CeFaan Kim has the latest details of an attack on a Harlem street vendor which turned fatal when he died of a heart attack.

HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- A street vendor in Harlem has died after going into cardiac arrest following a fight with a man accused of stealing.



The incident was reported Tuesday just after 4 p.m. near 2346 Frederick Douglass Boulevard.



Witnesses say the vendor got into a physical dispute outside a deli with the man that he claimed stole a hat.



After the fight, the 72-year-old vendor, later identified as William Welcome, went back to his stand and later went into cardiac arrest.



ALSO READ | Body found in shallow grave in woods on Long Island tied to MS-13: Police



A deli worker watched the fight and explained what he saw.



"He pushed the old man to the floor," the witness said. "Two minutes later, the old man got up and tried to fight with him so we, the workers, broke up the fight and then the guy just walked away and the old man went back to his stand. Like 20 minutes later, they say he fell down."


Welcome died at the hospital.



The Medical Examiner will determine the victim's cause of death.



No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing. On Wednesday, police released a photo of a person of interest they would like to speak to.



Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).



Welcome's oldest sister said she is heartbroken and declined to speak on camera saying she would break down in tears.



She gardens across the street from where her brother set up his stand.



So, now every day she's forced to stare at that spot where her brother spent his final moments.



ALSO READ | Video shows terrifying machete attack inside Bronx bodega


Marcus Solis has more on the terrifying video of a machete attack inside a bodega in the Bronx.


----------


* Get Eyewitness News Delivered


* More Manhattan news


* Send us a news tip


* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts


* Follow us on YouTube


Submit a News Tip

Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.