A good Samaritan straphanger who tried to intervene during a fight on a Queens train was pummeled unconscious by the aggressor — who then picked his pockets before another suspect robbed him, too, cops said.
The 61-year-old victim was on a southbound F train at the 21st Street-Queensbridge station around 9:15 p.m. May 15 when he tried to cool things off during an argument between two other commuters, police said.
One of the feuding riders then turned on the do-gooder, punching and kicking him in the face until he was knocked unconscious, cops said.
Once the rider was knocked out, the callous attacker picked the victim’s pockets, grabbing unspecified items, before running off, police said.
Another pickpocketer then took advantage of the victim while he was still out cold – ripping off $45 and other belongings, cops said.
The victim was rushed by EMS workers to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.
The alleged attacker, captured in a surveillance photo released by the NYPD Sunday, is described as standing about 6-foot-2 and last seen wearing a black vest over a yellow hoodie.
The second alleged pickpocketer is described as a man with a heavy build last seen wearing a black jacket emblazoned with the word AYA and a black cap with the Nike logo and carrying a black rectangular backpack.
Anyone with information on the brutal mugging is asked to 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 at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.
