Two bandits subjected an elderly jeweler to a brutal attack during a $100,000 robbery in Brooklyn, New York. As of Wednesday, January 4, the victim, Manny Cohen, 79, a father of three and grandfather of nine, was in critical condition, while the search for the fugitive suspects continued.
Cohen was working alone in his shop, Roxy Jewelry on Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, when the thieves struck around 5:30 p.m. The perpetrators escaped with over $100,000 in merchandise, and no arrests have been made in the case.
The victim’s son, Shawn, told the Daily News, “These thugs went in there with the intention to kill him. They thought they killed him. They didn’t have any issue with beating an elderly man to death.”
Shawn added, “We are all devastated. My father was a healthy 79-year-old. He was a health freak. He was working from morning to evening, just to maintain his mental sharpness. It’s devastating for us.”
Shawn also disclosed that the family believes this was not the first time the suspects targeted his father, citing additional prior incidents that left them feeling very unsafe.
He recounted an incident where a robber carrying a large rock walked into the store around Thanksgiving in an attempted robbery that left his father bleeding from the head. Shawn believes the earlier attack was possibly carried out by the same people wanted for the pre-New Year robbery and assault.
“My understanding is someone who is brave enough to do this kind of crime, it’s not a first-time thief. Probably known to law enforcement,” Shawn said.
He emphasized that the family’s primary focus remained on their patriarch’s recovery. “Right now, the focus is health,” he concluded.
