Robber Beats Woman After Trying to Bum a Light for Cigarette

Police are looking for this man for an assault on a woman on the Upper West Side. -Photo by NYPD

By Dan Gesslein 

Manhattan Voice

June. 20, 2023

MANHATTAN - A man looking to bum a light for his cigarette off a woman ended up beating her and tried to rob her on the Upper West Side, cops said.

Police released surveillance video of the suspect who appears to be holding a cigarette at the time of the incident.

At around 11:30 pm on June 17, a 42-year-old woman was walking on the Upper West Side in the vicinity of Broadway and West 79th Street.

According to police, a man decked out in denim, approached the woman and asked for a light for his cigarette.

Suddenly the man began to repeatedly punch the woman in the face and arm, cops said.

The attacker then kept yanking on the handbag the victim was clinging to, cops said. However, the attacker was unable to wrestle the bag free from its owner and he fled empty handed.

Cops said the suspect fled eastbound on West 79th Street. 

The victim did not seek medical attention at the scene.

The suspect has a medium complexion and is balding. He was last seen wearing a blue jean jacket with patches on the shoulders with a yellow shirt underneath and blue jean pants.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident 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 CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips. 

All calls are strictly confidential.