2 Suspects Attack Security Guard At Midtown Church, Officials Say

MIDTOWN, NY — Police were searching Friday for two suspects who attacked a 67-year-old man in Midtown and stole his iPhone, New York City Police Department officials said.

According to the NYPD, on Wednesday just before 2 p.m., the two suspects approached the victim and snatched his iPhone while inside 329 West 42nd St., which is between Eighth and Ninth avenues. The Holy Cross Church is listed at that address.

Law enforcement sources said that the victim is a security guard at the church, and had told the two suspects to stop smoking on the front steps. When the suspects wouldn't move, sources said the security guard opened his phone to take a photo of the pair when they grabbed his phone and then beat him up, sources said.

Then, the two suspects ran away heading toward Ninth Avenue, and the man was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Mount Sinai West in stable condition with lacerations on his face, police said.

Police have not made any arrests yet, but the investigation is underway, officials said.

Police have release surveillance photos of the two suspects, which include one man who was last seen wearing a black/brown shirt and blue jeans, and a woman who was last seen wearing a black sweater and blue jeans.

Police said anyone with information regarding the robbery can call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips.

This is a developing story and will be updated. For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.