A homeless man has been held on $8,000 bail after allegedly attacking a 94-year-old former doctor outside an Apple store on the Upper East Side.
Officials report that the man is suspected of punching the victim in the face just three days following his initial arrest on Friday, leading to the elderly man stumbling into a nearby store on Madison Avenue.
The defendant, 31-year-old Lewis Reynolds, who lacks a permanent address, pleaded not guilty to charges of second and third-degree assault during a court appearance on Saturday morning.
Wearing a black T-shirt and grey sweatpants, Reynolds appeared anxious as his lawyer described him as someone leading a “law-abiding life” focused on tasks like streaming and home improvement jobs. It was, however, acknowledged in court that he had not accessed the shelter in Queens that had been suggested for him.
Ultimately, Judge Valentina Morales decided to set bail, noting Reynolds’ “limited relationships” and family ties in California as part of her considerations.
In an interview with the Post, the victim, who identified himself only as Moshe, described the incident as “traumatic.” He expressed concerns about the possibility of a similar event happening again, either to him or someone else.
At the time of the attack, Moshe was buying a new Apple Watch when he noticed an unusual situation unfolding with other customers that escalated quickly. He recounted that he and his 78-year-old girlfriend, Evelia, were anticipating trouble when the homeless man unexpectedly struck him.
“Evelia quickly chased him, and I was falling,” Moshe remembered, although he refused to see a doctor on-site despite suffering a noticeable bruise beneath his left cheekbone.
“I’m still dealing with the aftermath emotionally—the anxiety lingers, and I can’t shake the feeling that something similar could happen again. I hope to recover fully in a few weeks, but it’s hard to forget,” Moshe said.
