Police said the 60-year-old victim was beaten and robbed inside a deli on Eastern Parkway.
NEW YORK — A 60-year-old man was critically injured after he was beaten and robbed inside a Crown Heights deli during a late-night attack April 22, police said.
The robbery has drawn attention in Brooklyn because of the victim’s condition and the location of the assault, a deli at 1380 Eastern Parkway. Police said the victim was taken by emergency medical workers to One Brooklyn Health-Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition. Investigators have not released the man’s name, and no arrest had been announced in the case as of Friday.
The attack happened at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 22, inside the deli, according to police information made public after the incident. Authorities said an unidentified person approached the 60-year-old man, then punched and kicked him in the face and body. The attacker forcibly removed the victim’s wallet and fled on foot to an unknown location. Police listed the case as a robbery investigation assigned to the 73rd Precinct Detective Squad. The public wanted listing described the suspect’s gender and race as unknown, a sign that investigators had not yet released a clear description. News12 reported that sources said three attackers followed the man into the deli before the beating, while the public police listing described one unidentified individual.
The victim’s injuries were serious enough that emergency medical workers transported him to Brookdale Hospital, a major trauma and emergency care site in Brooklyn. Police have not said what was inside the stolen wallet or whether cash, credit cards or identification documents were taken. They also have not said whether the victim was a customer, worker or neighborhood resident. The attack took place along Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, a busy corridor with apartment buildings, small stores, bus service and subway access nearby. The timing, just after midnight, placed the robbery during a period when many delis and bodegas remain open for late-night customers. Investigators have not said whether surveillance video from inside or near the store has been recovered.
The NYPD’s wanted notice placed the incident among several violent crimes under review across the city in late April, including other assaults, robberies and shootings. The case number listed for the Crown Heights robbery is 2026-073-4415. The notice said the person wanted in the deli attack fled “to parts unknown,” language police often use when no confirmed escape route has been made public. Another News12 report said one attacker reportedly knew the victim, citing sources, but officials have not publicly confirmed a motive or relationship. That leaves key questions unanswered, including why the victim was targeted, whether the attack began before he entered the store and how many people may ultimately be sought by detectives.
The attack adds to long-running concerns about violence in and around New York City delis and bodegas, which often operate late and serve as gathering points in dense neighborhoods. In recent years, police, store owners and community leaders have reported robberies, assaults and shootings tied to small stores across the city. The Crown Heights case did not involve a store worker based on the public information released so far, but it shared a familiar setting: a small, open business where a violent encounter unfolded quickly. Police have not reported whether the deli was damaged, whether workers were hurt or whether other customers were inside at the time.
The next steps in the case center on identifying the person or people involved and determining whether charges will be filed. Detectives may review store cameras, nearby street cameras, witness accounts and medical records as they build the case. If a suspect is arrested, possible charges could depend on the victim’s injuries, the amount and type of property taken and whether prosecutors determine the attack involved more than one participant. Police have not announced a briefing, court date or suspect lineup. The investigation remains open under the 73rd Precinct’s case file.
The scene described by police was stark and brief: a man inside a neighborhood deli, an assault to the face and body, a stolen wallet and a suspect running away on foot. No public statement from the victim or his family had been released by Friday. Police said the victim remained in critical condition after the attack, making his medical status one of the central facts in the investigation. The deli’s address, 1380 Eastern Parkway, remained the main fixed point in the case as detectives worked to connect the assault, robbery and escape route.
As of Friday, May 1, police had not announced an arrest in the Crown Heights deli robbery. The victim’s condition and any new suspect information remained the next major updates expected in the case.
Author note: Last updated May 1, 2026.