Video: Bronx robbery suspect uses chokehold on victim with walker
MORRISANIA, Bronx (WABC) -- A man who uses a walker to get around was attacked in the lobby of a Bronx building, and police are hoping surveillance video will lead to an arrest.
The suspect is also now linked to another similar attack.
The pair of robberies both involve the suspect using a choke hold on his victims. The most recent attack happened on Third Avenue near East 167th Street in the Morrisania section.
Police released video of that attack from April 12, showing a masked man grabbing 68-year-old James Exum and putting him in a choke hold before dragging him to the stairs.
"He was trying to kill me, I do actually believe," he said. "He was choking me so hard."
The individual went through the man's pockets and took a cell phone and $300 in cash.
"I'm 68 years old and never had no robbery," he said. "Nobody ever robbed me, none of that."
A nearly identical scenario happened back on February 4 in the same lobby where again the victim was placed in a choke hold and robbed. The 48-year-old victim in that incident didn't live in the building.
Building residents were horrified to learn of the incident and concerned about their own safety and security.
"If they have somebody lurking out here dragging people in staircases, then that's something management needs to do something about," one resident said.
Another of the victim's neighbors, who also uses a walker, spoke about the attacks.
"This is a dangerous neighborhood, there are police in this neighborhood," he said. "They do their best to keep the building secure and clean and the doors locked, because sometimes the tenants can't keep the doors locked."
Police believe it is the same man in both attacks.
Anyone with information in regards to 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).
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