A 94-year-old retired doctor was unexpectedly attacked at an Apple store on the Upper East Side this week. The doctor expressed concerns that such an incident might happen again to him or someone else.
Moshe Labi had just purchased a new Apple Watch at a store on Madison Avenue near East 74th Street around 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, accompanied by his 78-year-old girlfriend, Evelia Butt, when the assault occurred.
“We were in the store, and I decided to leave after waiting for a while. There was some commotion,” the rabbi recounted on Thursday. “I suggested we wait until everything settled down.”
“We were standing there, and then out of nowhere, somebody walked up and punched me in the face,” he said. “Evelia chased after him, but I ended up falling down.”
Labi felt fortunate he was facing away at the time of the attack. “If I hadn’t been turned that way, it could have been a lot worse. I hit my head and my back on the ground,” he added.
“Unconsciously, I’m still grappling with the whole experience. It’s quite traumatic, and I wish I could have reacted differently… it’s a bit disheartening,” he said. “I hope I’ll fully recover soon, but I still feel anxious. There’s a possibility this could happen again to me or someone else.”
Born in Libya, Labi fled with his family during World War II and has led a remarkable life since. He moved through Sudan, Egypt, and finally Italy, where he studied medicine before traveling to Israel to fight in the War of Independence. Afterward, he settled in New York City, where he worked as an internist before retiring at 89 after serving as a medical group director.
Labi recently released a memoir titled “Benghazi, Tel Aviv, New York: A Journey from Adversity to Success.”
After the attack, his medical training helped him realize that he didn’t need to go to the hospital since he had “no visible injuries” and was breathing fine.
At one time, he mentioned he had also been a martial arts instructor, yet admitted that the surprise attack left him stunned.
“I can’t completely blame the city for this situation. However, it’s clear that some departments should help individuals like this attacker,” he noted. “I consider myself lucky; it could have been much worse.”
Meanwhile, Butt shared that the assailant had expressed anger to a store employee due to a declined credit card while trying to buy a phone. She added that he was also harassing a woman parked in front of the store.
“People like him need to be found,” she stated. “He’s already targeted someone else; it’s frightening to think this could happen to me at 94.”
The assailant fled north on Madison Avenue and had not been apprehended as of Thursday, according to the police.
He is described as having a dark complexion and a slim build, approximately six feet tall, wearing a black T-shirt, blue pants, and tan shoes.
Anyone with information regarding the crime is encouraged to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, if Spanish-speaking, 1-888-57-Pista (74782). Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website or via Twitter @NYPDTips.
