Authorities in Brooklyn are looking for a man accused of attacking a 90-year-old woman on a neighborhood sidewalk this week, an incident that was apparently captured on surveillance footage obtained by a local television station.
The violent encounter took place at about 9:47 a.m. Monday near 501 Brighton Beach Ave. in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach section, the New York City Police Department said.
According to police, the woman was walking when an unknown man came near her and hurled a piece of furniture in her direction, knocking her to the ground. The suspect then ran off on foot, and investigators said his direction of travel remains unclear.
An NYPD van parked on a street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, N.Y., April 27, 2025. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Video obtained by News 12 appears to show the man moving along the sidewalk with what resembles a discarded baby crib packed with debris. Moments later, as the elderly woman passes by, he seems to lift the item and throw it at her. The impact sends her falling onto the pavement, while the suspect appears to walk away without stopping.
Emergency medical personnel responded and transported the woman to NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island, where she was listed in stable condition, police said.
Police released this surveillance image of a suspect wanted in the alleged assault of a 90-year-old woman in Brooklyn Aug. 31, 2026. (NYPD Crime Stoppers)
Police have not identified a motive for the attack, and it was not immediately clear whether the suspect and victim knew each other.
The suspect remains at large.
A Google Street View image shows the intersection of Brighton Beach Avenue and Brighton 5th Street in Brooklyn, where police said a 90-year-old woman was assaulted Aug. 31, 2026. (Google Maps)
The NYPD released a photo of the man investigators are seeking. He is described as wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, black pants and white sneakers at the time of the attack.
Anyone with information about the suspect’s identity or whereabouts is asked to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted online through the Crime Stoppers website or by messaging @NYPDTips on X. Police said all calls and tips will be kept confidential.
News Media has reached out to the NYPD for additional information about the investigation.