Exclusive: Queens Parking Garage Attendant Pistol Whipped By Alleged Car Thief
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police were on the hunt Monday for a man they say attacked a parking garage worker in Queens before taking off in a stolen car.
The terrifying moments were caught on surveillance video. Grabbing onto the walls and desperately trying to push his attacker away, a day on the job for the attendant turned into a fight for his life.
The 59-year-old is now in pain and walking with a cane from his injuries. Too scared to sow his face, he spoke exclusively with CBS2's Reena Roy.
"To get out of there, I hope he didn't shoot," he said.
Police say the assailant pistol whipped and dragged him just after 2:00 p.m. on Saturday before stealing a Kia SUV which the keys inside parked in the garage on Queens Boulevard near 67th Avenue.
The worker says he approached the man when he saw he was pacing around the garage. The alleged assailant told him someone would shoot him if he didn't take a car, according to the worker.
"I said that's not my problem," said the worker.
That's when the attendant says he tried to escape through the stairwell. Police say the suspect attempted to force him back downstairs.
"He had his hands in his pocket walking toward me, I'm walking back, walking back," said the worker. "Finally I ran, if you want a car take it. He kept running after me."
The Queens man says he noticed something seemed off about the suspect, who he had also seen the night before.
"I can't eat, you know," he said. "I'm traumatized right now."
He adds he's been working in parking garages his whole life, most recently at the garage in Rego Park for the past year. He aims to be back on the job as soon as he fully recovers.
"I'm gonna go back to work, same garage I'm not scared," he said. "God is good."
Police describe the suspect as 25-years-old, about 5'7" and 160 pounds with a goatee. He was last seen wearing a light-colored du rag, a white tank top, red shorts, and dark colored backpack.
The stolen car belongs to a woman in Queens, according to sources.
Anyone with information in regards 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 (74682). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
