Police reclassified the Flatbush case as a homicide after the victim’s November death.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — A homeless man who was beaten outside a Flatbush laundromat in 2024 has died from his injuries, and police now say the case is a homicide. James Cole, 58, died in November after months in a coma stemming from a March 17, 2024 assault on Bedford Avenue, authorities said.
Police identified the suspected assailant as Matthaat Blomont, who lives next door to the laundromat. He was arrested after the attack and initially charged with attempted murder and assault. Investigators said the confrontation began after Blomont confronted Cole for defecating in a building hallway. With Cole’s death on Nov. 11, the case has been referred to prosecutors for potential upgraded charges. The homicide classification places the investigation in a new phase as detectives work with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office to determine next steps and whether a grand jury will consider a new indictment.
Officers responded to a 911 call around the laundromat on Bedford Avenue on March 17, 2024 and found Cole on the ground with head injuries, police said. A witness told investigators Blomont struck Cole with a baseball bat and stomped him. In court filings, Blomont denied using a bat and said he pushed Cole after confronting him about the hallway, according to summaries of the complaint. Cole was taken to a hospital and placed in a medically induced coma. He remained hospitalized for months before his death in November. “It’s horrible,” said neighbor PJ Sutton, who learned of the homicide determination this week. “We’re all human at the end of the day.”
Authorities said Cole’s injuries from the 2024 assault led to his death, prompting the reclassification. The complaint describes a dispute that moved from the hallway into the area outside the laundromat, where the beating occurred. Police records list Cole’s age as 58 at the time of the attack. The witness account alleges multiple blows and a stomp; Blomont’s statement disputes the presence of a baseball bat. Officials did not immediately release additional medical findings or say whether surveillance footage captured the incident. It was not immediately clear whether Blomont has retained an attorney to respond to the potential upgraded charges.
The assault and subsequent homicide ruling come amid long-running tensions around public space and sanitation in parts of Flatbush, where storefronts and apartment buildings sit close together along busy corridors like Bedford Avenue. Residents near the laundromat described a steady flow of foot traffic and frequent overnight activity around the block. While disputes tied to building maintenance and hallway use are not unusual in older walk-up buildings, deadly violence tied to such confrontations remains rare. Neighbors said the beating in 2024 drew a large police response and left them unsettled as the victim’s condition remained uncertain for months.
Blomont was initially arraigned on attempted murder and assault counts in 2024. With Cole’s death on Nov. 11, the case is now being reviewed by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for possible homicide charges, according to police. Prosecutors could present the case to a grand jury for an upgraded indictment. Officials did not provide a timetable for that decision. Police said detectives have notified Cole’s relatives about the change in the case status and will coordinate with prosecutors on any additional evidence needed.
Outside the laundromat this week, the metal gates rattled as customers came and went next door, and neighbors paused to talk about the update. A resident who gave only a first name, PJ, said the death “doesn’t make sense over something like a bathroom.” Another neighbor said they remembered seeing police on the block after the 2024 attack and had asked periodically about Cole’s condition. People living in the adjacent building said they were surprised to hear the case was now a homicide and were waiting to learn whether new charges would be filed.
As of Sunday, police said the investigation remains active and prosecutors are weighing how to proceed. The next milestone is a charging decision by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office following the homicide reclassification, with any grand jury action to be scheduled afterward.
Author note: Last updated December 7, 2025.