A man walking along the Austin Street commercial corridor in Forest Hills was attacked and robbed by an enraged cyclist on the night of Wednesday, Sept. 6, according to authorities.
Police say the 64-year-old victim was walking past an eyeglass shop located at 107-02 71st Ave. when a stranger riding a bicycle on the sidewalk bumped into him at 9:11 p.m. The two began to argue and the altercation escalated quickly to violence when the cyclist slugged the victim with a closed fist on the side of the head, causing him to fall to the sidewalk, according to authorities.
The assailant proceeded to remove the victim’s property and rode off on his bike in an unknown direction, police said.
The victim refused medical attention at the scene.
The value of the stolen property has not yet been determined, according to the NYPD.
Through Sept. 3, the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills reported 47 robbery incidents so far in 2023, 15 fewer than the 62 reported robberies at the same point last year, which marks a decrease of 24.2%, according to the most recent CompStat report.
The NYPD released surveillance images of the suspect on Sept. 8.
He is believed to be in his 20s and has a light complexion, thin build and black hair. He was last seen a white T-shirt, tan shorts and black sneakers and was wearing a black fanny pack slung over one of his shoulders.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
