A troubling new video reveals a shocking incident where a violent career criminal, linked to a fatal subway attack in Brooklyn, brutally stomped on his unsuspecting victim multiple times, leaving him unconscious.
The victim, Nicola Tanzi, 64, seemingly posed no threat to David Mazariegos. The disturbing footage shows Mazariegos delivering a sucker punch to Tanzi’s face twice, knocking him down immediately upon entering the Jay Street Metrotech station on Tuesday.
Mazariegos, who has five pending criminal cases, continued the assault by repeatedly kicking Tanzi in the face as he lay defenseless on the ground.
Prosecutors report that Mazariegos later admitted to police that he took Tanzi’s “soul” because he disliked how he looked.
The unprovoked attack came right after Tanzi had opened the emergency door for Mazariegos.
“He kept stomping the victim, not just once or twice, but many times, even with the victim’s body lying completely limp,” Assistant District Attorney Shena Aishnani stated during Mazariegos’s arraignment last week. “He continued to stomp on the victim even after he was unconscious.”
Aishnani further noted that when police questioned Mazariegos, he confessed to beating, robbing, and mentally abusing the victim.
Mazariegos now faces first-degree murder charges in this appalling case.
According to prosecutors, Tanzi—a devoted Catholic and member of the Carroll Gardens Italian Club—passed away mere hours later, suffering from a fractured skull, a shattered nose, and numerous facial injuries.
Tanzi, originally from Italy, was a parishioner at St. Dominic Parish, as reported by his family.
“Nicki had such a kind heart—a real glass-half-full type who always cared for others,” reflected Deacon John Heyer from Sacred Hearts and St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church in Carroll Gardens. “I think he would have wanted to help and forgive the person who did this, if only we could have provided them the support they needed.”
Mazariegos was taken into custody following the attack and is being held at Rikers Island without bail, where he was seen grinning at reporters before his charges. Records indicate that he currently has five open cases in Manhattan and the Bronx, including charges of petty theft, identity theft, criminal mischief, and assault.
