CBS2 Exclusive: Victim In Stairwell Assault Speaks Out
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A victim was just a few feet away from his apartment door in the Bronx when he says he was attacked by a robber in the stairwell.
Surveillance footage captured the entire assault and now 47-year-old Helio Guzman is speaking to CBS2's Matt Kozar about feeling unsafe in his own home.
"I feel very pain in my chest, so that's why I called the police and ambulance," Guzman said. Guzman broke a rib as a result of the attack, he said.
Guzman said the man knocked him down a flight of marble stairs then stole his wallet which contained his credit cards, $250 in cash and a cell phone.
"Right now, I can't say anything because I feel really bad about what happened," Guzman said.
The attack happened early Monday morning inside an apartment building on Davidison Avenue in the Bronx. Guzman says the suspect slipped into the lobby behind an elderly woman walking through the front door. The suspect then reportedly followed Guzman up the stairs and shoved a lighter in his face.
"He pulled out a lighter," Guzman said. "I saw the flames in my face."
Then he allegedly dragged Guzman down the stairs before slamming him to the ground.
Residents heard the commotion, but the suspect got away before anyone could stop him. They tell CBS2 robberies are not uncommon here.
"Nobody's safe. You're never safe. You just have to mind your own business pretty much," a resident said.
Guzman, who works at a restaurant in Midtown, says he's out of work for the next two weeks.