Video: Woman Beaten For Cell Phone In Gravesend Robbery

wanted

Police are on the hunt for a suspect in a brazen robbery, in which a man walked up to a 36-year-old woman and savagely beat her before stealing her Samsung Galaxy cell phone.

The incident, which took place on October 2 at approximately 1 a.m. at Avenue W and Lake Street in Gravesend, was captured on video by a nearby surveillance camera.

In it, you can see the man square off with the woman before violently swinging at her face. She fell to the ground off camera, which is when the thief snatched her cell phone and fled on foot.

The victim spoke to ABC News using a psuedonym, describing the attack:

“The first thing I saw was a punch,” said Sara, the victim.
… “He took my phone after the first or second punch, grabbed it from my hand, but he just proceeded to beat my face with all of his might, aiming punches like a boxer,” Sara said.
… “With the best of my ability, I was protecting my face from a rain of punches,” Sara said.
… Sara was coming home from work; it was late, 1 in the morning on Wednesday, when the suspect approached her from behind on Lake Street near Avenue W in the Gravesend section.
… Sara told Eyewitness News the vicious attack lasted more than a minute, that she was knocked to the ground several times, but wouldn’t get up, convinced the only way she would walk away from this was to keep screaming.
“That was my priority, was not to shut up, it felt like he was looking to knock me out,” Sara said.

The victim suffered minor injuries, including bruises to her face, knees and back.

Police have released the above sketch, describing the man as in his early 20s, five-foot-nine and thin.

If you recognize the man above or have any more information regardng this incident, please contact (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or visit NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM.

Here’s the video: