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Men pretended to befriend Bronx beggar before brutal attack
THOMAS TRACYNEW YORK DAILY NEWS Today, 11:31 AM ET
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NYPD is searching for 3 people who attacked a man with hot water in the Bronx. The first 2 are pictured.
Before pummeling him to the ground and splashing his face with scalding-hot water, three men who beat a Bronx panhandler walked up to him as if he was their friend, surveillance video released by the NYPD Tuesday shows.
The surveillance video shows two of the three suspects walking up to their 50-year-old victim on W. Kingbridge Rd. near Davidson Ave. in Marble Hill about 8:45 p.m. Sunday.
When they reach the corner, the two brutes are met by a third individual and the assault begins.
EXCLUSIVE: BRONX MAN'S BEATING INVESTIGATED AS HATE CRIME
The trio punched and kicked the man before throwing boiling water on his face, leaving him with third-degree burns.
“He’s pretty messed up,” a police source said. “It’s hard to believe that’s just water.”
The victim was taken to Jacobi Medical Center for treatment.
Anyone with information on the suspects (pictured) is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.
The panhandler was holding the door at a CFSC check cashing store on W. Kingsbridge Ave., asking for change moments before the suspects attacked, officials said.
His attackers were still at large Tuesday.
The suspects are described as two Hispanic men and a third man with a dark complexion. All three were wearing dark-colored clothes.
The attack was initially investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force because the attackers used the word "n-----" before the assault,
but it was later determined the word was used in conversation and race wasn’t a motive for the attack, police said.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.