Exclusive: Bronx Man Injured By Screwdriver-Wielding Suspect Speaks After Attempted Robbery
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A man was injured during an attempted robbery in the Bronx by a suspect armed with a screwdriver.
40-year-old Israel Gomez re-enacted the moment a robber attacked him inside his home. He says the suspect stabbed him in the chest so many times with a screwdriver, it punctured a hole in his jacket.
It happened around 7:35 p.m. Saturday inside an apartment building near Briggs Avenue and East Kingsbridge Road in Fordham Manor.
"He threw me to the floor under the table. He kept attacking me, trying to find my wallet," Gomez said.
Gomez says he was unlocking the front door to his apartment on Briggs Avenue Saturday evening when the attacker captured on surveillance video snuck up behind him.
The suspect then allegedly pulled out the screwdriver and told the man to hand over money.
"He told me he was going to kill me, but he never imagined that I was going to fight back. I myself didn't think I was going to fight back," Gomez said.
Gomez says he managed to kick and even grabbed a bottle to smash against the suspect's head. The intruder eventually ran away, dropping the victim's wallet during his escape.
Police say the victim suffered cuts to his hands and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Gomez's roommate was also home and heard the minutes-long scuffle, but was too scared to intervene. He told CBS2 he was also the victim of a robbery years ago inside that same apartment.
"I watch the news, they kill for one dollar. It's terrible," Leo Barbecho said.
Gomez and his roommate say the experience has taught them to always watch out for who they let into the building.
Anyone who has information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477 or for Spanish, 1-888-577-4782. Tips can also be sent to the NYPDTips Twitter account or submitted online at NYPDCrimeStoppers.com.