Man Indicted In Unprovoked Attack On UWS Senior: DA

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY – A 38-year-old Brooklyn man, Anthony Melendez, faces charges of second-degree assault, a felony, and third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, in connection with an unprovoked daylight attack on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s Office.

The incident happened on the afternoon of Sept. 13 near West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue.

Prosecutors allege that Melendez punched the victim, a 77-year-old woman, in the head as she was walking home from the grocery store pushing a shopping cart.

The force of the blow knocked her glasses off and left her shaken. A good Samaritan helped retrieve her glasses and escorted the woman home, according to prosecutors.

Melendez fled the scene, traveling westbound on 72nd Street toward Columbus Avenue.

Unprovoked Attacks

The attack is one of a number of incidents in which random New Yorkers have been targeted in apparently unprovoked attacks, and preceded the Nov. 18 stabbings that left three dead earlier this week.

Bragg condemned the Upper West Side attack, emphasizing the need for safety in public spaces. "Manhattanites deserve to feel safe on the streets of New York, and those who jeopardize their safety will be held accountable,” he said, in a statement.

Hansel Esparragoza

A 37-year-old Staten Island man, Hansel Esparragoza, was indicted earlier this month in connection with a separate unprovoked attack targeting an Upper West Side senior, Guela Levi Freeman.

Freeman was walking her dog at about 7 p.m. on Sept. 13 near 66th Street and Amsterdam Avenue when she was violently assaulted, in an incident that left her hospitalized.

Both Melendez and Esparragoza have had previous contact with the criminal justice system – Esparragoza has an extensive criminal history – and each reportedly suffers from mental illness. Melendez previously faced menacing, assault, and criminal mischief charges in three separate incidents in 2022.