Police from the 109th Precinct are looking for the crook who punched a 65-year-old man in broad daylight as he was getting on to a Q14 MTA bus in Whitestone late last month.
Police say the suspect began arguing with the older man as he was boarding the bus at 14th Avenue and 150th Street at around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25. The dispute escalated into violence when the perpetrator punched the older man in the face with a closed fist and fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction, police said.
EMS responded to the location and transported the victim to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
The NYPD released a surveillance image of the suspect on Monday and described him as having a light complexion. He was last seen wearing a dark hooded jacket, blue jeans, black sneakers, a blue ski cap and a black face covering.
A reward of $3,500 is being offered for information that leads to his arrest and indictment.
Anyone with information regarding this assault investigation is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
Through March 1, the 109th Precinct has reported 61 felony assaults so far in 2026, 14 fewer than the 75 reported at the same point last year, a decline of 18.7%, according to the most recent CompStat report. Transit crimes are also down in the precinct with two reported so far this year, three fewer than the five reported at the same point in 2025, a decrease of 60%, according to CompStat.
