91-Year-Old Hospitalized With Broken Ribs After Assault On Upper East Side, Prosecutor Says

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A man was just convicted of attacking a 91-year-old victim and attempting to steal his wallet on Wednesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

According to Bragg, the perpetrator, 45-year-old Christian Torres, attempted to grab the victim's wallet, and then forcefully shoved him to the ground and punched him while he was walking home with groceries from a fruit vendor stand back on Feb. 1, 2024, at 10:25 p.m. on the corner of Second Avenue and East 86th Street.

The 91-year-old was hospitalized at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital with five fractured ribs and a hematoma to his liver, Bragg said. Then he was transferred to Amsterdam Nursing Home, a rehab facility, for a month before being discharged home, Bragg said.

To this day, the man experiences rib pain and limited mobility, Bragg said.

"A jury of his peers found Christian Torres guilty of violently assaulting a 91-year-old man who was walking home with groceries in an unprovoked attack," said Bragg.

On Wednesday, a New York State Supreme Court jury found Torres guilty on all counts, including assault in the first degree, attempted robbery in the first degree, and assault in the second degree. Torres is expected to be sentenced on June 26.

"I hope this conviction sends a message that those who assault older New Yorkers will be held accountable," Bragg said. "I thank the jury for its service, and our prosecutors for their hard work securing this all-count conviction."

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