Nearly a year after Sunnyside resident Lou Rispoli was brutally killed in Sunnyside, police are renewing calls for clues in the case.
Around midnight on October 20, 2012, Rispoli, 62, left his Sunnyside home for a late night walk as he sometimes did to quell his insomnia. At roughly 2 a.m. on 43rd Avenue between 41st and 42nd Street, two unidentified men approached Rispoli, exchanging in a brief conversation before striking him over the head with a blunt object. He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital where he died from his injuries on October 25.
According to an eyewitness, a third perpetrator acted as the getaway driver.
Rispoli lived in Sunnyside with his husband for over 30 years. It was not clear if the victim’s sexual orientation had anything to do with the attack or whether or not he was robbed.
The incident is being investigated by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force as a possible bias crime, said police.
In January, the NYPD released sketches of two suspects wanted in connection to the homicide.
Authorities describe the suspects as a Hispanic male in his thirties and a white male in his twenties. The suspects possibly fled in a white or grey four door sedan with a loud muffler.
A $22,000 reward has been offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction for the persons responsible for Rispoli’s homicide.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call Crime stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
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