Man Who Attacked 84-Year-Old Arrested, Police Say

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — An attacker who pummeled an 84-year-old man as he sat on a Lower East Side park bench has been arrested, police said.

Ashley Williams, 34, was arrested Saturday and charged with assault, according to an NYPD spokesman

Williams is suspected of launching an unprovoked attack on an 84-year-old man as he sat on a park bench near 124 East Broadway on April 24. Williams repeatedly punched the man in the face, striking him with a closed fist, according to authorities. The 84-year-old was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment after his attacker ran away, authorities said. The old man was injured so badly that he required surgery for bone fractures suffered during the attack, according to the criminal complaint filed against Williams.

Patch was not immediately able to contact a defense attorney for Williams on Monday morning.

Image credit: Courtesy of the NYPD