[Photos of suspect via the NYPD]
The NYPD is zeroing in on the suspect accused of viciously attacking 68-year-old Ruan Wen Hui Friday night on East Sixth Street.
Police are searching for a 20-year-old man, whose identity has not been released, wanted in connection with the deadly assault, The Wall Street Journal reports. The disturbing surveillance video shows the suspect tossing Hui into a wall before stomping on his head several times.
Per the Journal: "The suspect has a criminal history that includes criminal trespassing, robbery and selling drugs, including cocaine and marijuana."
Hui, a retired garment worker who lived on Avenue C and East Seventh Street with his wife, died from his injuries Saturday night. He had just dropped off his two granddaughters after a trip to a nearby playground when the seemingly random attack occurred. Police officials told The New York Times that robbery was a likely motive.
[Photo via CBS 2]
Yesterday, Hui's family continued mourning as they visited the site of the attack at 745 E. Sixth St. (Media outlets have identified the victim as both Ruan Wen Hui and Wen Hui Ruan.)
[A memorial for Hui via Dave on 7th]
From the Times:
Jenny Ruan, 39, the second-oldest daughter, dropped to her knees and wailed in Chinese: “So many people passed. They didn't help, they didn’t call the police. Why wasn't I here when you needed me?"
Mr. Ruan's attacker, Ms. Ruan said, "didn't just kill my father, he killed my family's heart."
The Times also had more details about Hui's life.
In New York, Mr. Ruan toiled for two decades manning an iron at a garment factory, his family said. He would send money home to his younger brothers so that his nephews could attend college. "He was always eager to help everybody, anybody," Michelle Ruan said. "Always smiling."
Mr. Ruan, who retired four years ago, spent much of his free time playing Chinese chess at a park on Mulberry Street. At home he would play Sudoku and listen to Chinese opera while his wife prepared meals.
Read the whole article here.
Updated 11:44 a.m.
Gothamist reports that police have taken a 20-year-old suspect into custody. No charges have been filed yet.
Updated 12:20 p.m.
The Daily News reports that the NYPD made the arrest early this morning on East 14th Street and First Avenue after receiving a tip through the Crime Stoppers line.
Updated 5:44 p.m.
WABC 7 reports that the suspect is 20-year old Jamie Pugh. He is charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.
The NYPD says that it was an attempted robbery.
"[P]olice say Pugh screamed at Hui to give him something, but Hui spoke limited English, did not understand, and kept walking."
Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: East Village resident dies from injuries sustained in brutal attack (25 comments)
[UPDATED] Reward for info on East 6th Street assault; plus video of the attack (34 comments)
This makes me so mad. Why can't the police just release the info on the suspect? Let the neighborhood help them find this piece of sh*t.
ReplyDeleteheartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteMy sincerest condolences to the Wen Hui family. Seeing a beloved family man murdered on the video, and how quickly and viciously it happened is heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, why is it every time a crime happens in a crime-ridden neighborhood, the local TV news always finds someone to say what a safe, quiet neighborhood it is, and how nothing like this ever happens around here? Avenue D has never been considered a safe area, and there are still too many drug dealers and thugs here compared to the rest of the EV.
To relieve some of the family's pain, the police need to immediately release the name and photo of the suspect if they cannot find him today. Whoever he is staying with, whether a family member or a girlfriend, may not even realize he is a murderer and is now on the run. And if he is on the street, the public needs to know who to look out for.
Releasing the thug's name and picture will help get him captured sooner, before he does something bad to someone else in a desperate attempt to escape from the life sentence he is guaranteed to receive
The family has to live not only with his loss, but the horror of his killing captured on video. (Which I for one can't watch.)
ReplyDeleteSuspect in custody.
ReplyDeleteTake him to the East River, tie him up hand and foot, put weights around him and throw him in. Piece of trash doesn't deserve to waste limited valuable resources staying alive.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/man-20-arrested-fatal-beating-article-1.1790257
ReplyDeleteCaught on 14th street and first ave. Hope this is the guy. Wish I could see it go down, would spit on his sorry ass
Reportedly the guy lives in a nearby housing project. Hopefully this is the POS so there's one less degenerate for the good people in said bulding (and the world for that matter) to have to deal with.
ReplyDeleteSo bizarre that the suspect picked up today would stay in the same neighborhood that the murder took place. Picked up on 14th & 1st last night. This guy must be insane. Or insanely stupid. I hope they really caught him.
ReplyDeleteSo glad someone had the decency to report him to CrimeStoppers.
ReplyDeleteI can't understand why they don't want to release the information. What's the point of trying to look for the culprit with no help and witnesses who can identify him? This man obviously will do something again free on the streets and they're willing to risk that. I may be wrong, but there has been another culprit that they've been trying to catch: Anthony Coward- who may be the same person. He's committed many crimes and assaults in NY.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Coward was taken into custody this past Monday morning in Brooklyn
ReplyDeleteJust heard a report from someone on 6 and D that the cops busted someone in the projects on 8th and D two hours ago in relation to the murder. So do they have the guy or not, and what's with all the secrets? Also saw flowers and candles at the scene, may he rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteAs disturbing as it is to watch, it appears the second man with the light colored reversed baseball cap pulls out a cell phone and takes a picture of the victim at about the 1:36 mark.
ReplyDeleteIf they have the guy or not is still being determined...people hear this and hear that some of which is true, some of which is not, some which may be partly true; such is the way these types of situations go. Sometimes deails are not released so not to jeopardize the investigation. Patience.
ReplyDeleteThe second man must be the friend of the attacker. He obviously doubles back on purpose to take a look.
ReplyDeletePolice say the suspect, identified as 20-year old Jamie Pugh, was picked up on East 14th Street and First Avenue at about 1:45 a.m. Tuesday. He is charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.
ReplyDeletehttp://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=9534701
Sent at 5:12 PM on Tuesday
Job well done by those who spoke up and by the NYPD.
ReplyDeleteLots of news vans and trucks by the 9th precinct right now.
ReplyDelete'Hope this POS gets life without parole and his accomplice (most likely his lookout) gets the max for being that.
ReplyDeleteD