A mugger viciously attacked a NYC food vendor with a metal pipe. The attack left him with broken teeth and out $3,500.
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A 36-year-old food cart operator was working late Tuesday night, around 10:30 p.m., at the corner of West 49th Street and Eighth Avenue when an attacker approached him. Without warning, the assailant struck him repeatedly in the face and body. The attacker using “multiple objects,” including a pipe, according to the New York Post, who cited police and sources.
The attacker seized $3,500 from the severely injured worker. He then fled into the nearby 50th Street subway station, according to police.
The NYPD has released footage of the suspect, who remains at large. The man was captured looking directly into the surveillance cameras at the subway station. The suspect, who is believed to be in his 30s, was wearing a white Mets baseball cap, a white and blue Tommy Hilfiger bubble jacket, and light-colored jeans.
WANTED-ROBBERY: On 1/7/2025 @NYPDMTN in the vicinity of West 49 Street and 8 Avenue, an unknown individual forcibly property from the male victim. Any info call us at 800-577-TIPS Reward UP to $3,500. pic.twitter.com/YA8QfEJXtU
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) January 8, 2025
The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition but suffered several broken teeth, authorities said.
An Eyewitness Recounts the Brutal Robbery of an NYC Food Vendor
The employee, who had been working at the cart for just three to four months, suffered a severe blow to the face. He likely required surgery, according to a colleague present at the cart on Wednesday afternoon.
A hot dog vendor, located a block from the site of the Tuesday night attack, said he usually closes his cart by 8 or 9 p.m. each night because of safety concerns.
“I don’t open late at night anymore because it’s not safe,” he told The Post. “You don’t know who is trying to hurt you or rob you.”
Meanwhile, a viral video showing a worker from a food cart grabbing a pigeon with bare hands sparked outrage online. The incident intensified calls for stricter hygiene regulations and greater accountability among street food vendors as concerns over public health and food safety continue to grow.
NEW: Queens food cart worker catches a pigeon and takes it back to his cart
— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) January 4, 2025
A commuter waiting for a bus saw a worker feeding birds near the MS Halal truck by Rego Center Mall on Queens Boulevard on Dec. 29
She says the worker looked around to check if anyone was watching and… pic.twitter.com/9eAMfjLJYd
What’s more concerning is the man taking the pigeon into the food truck, raising serious hygiene and food safety questions.
“Choose your ‘protein’ wisely,” one onlooker on X joked.