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Most Hated: The Monster Who Beats Up Old Ladies
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 12, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 12, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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News that a man had mugged 85-year-old and 101-year-old women in vicious attacks has infuriated New Yorkers all over the city. After the NYPD released surveillance footage of a man punching 101-year-old, walker-wielding Rose Morat, Police Commissioner Kelly vowed to pull out all the stops in trying to find the attacker.
The attacker seemed to be targeting particularly vulnerable elderly women - both Morat (pictured) and 85-year-old Solange Elizee both use walkers. He approached them while they were heading into their Queens buildings, following them inside. Elizee said the mugger tried to make her comfortable by saying, "You look scared, Mommy. Mommy, don't be scared, I like to help old people." And by help, the sick jerk means "beating them up."
WNBC reported that 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, made up of black police offiers, is offering a $1,000 reward, while Commissioner Kelly said that over 1,000 calls were made to Crimestoppers. But apparently the "angry callers were mainly telling police what they themselves would like to do to the suspect when he's caught." Which is awesome, because when you see this video of Morat being attacked - and then her beat-up face - you'll want to go all vigilante. The Daily News had some of the suggestions offered by callers:
"You better catch him before we do," one angry tipster said of the mugger caught on tape March 4 striking Rose Morat as the centenarian struggled to hold onto her purse.
Another caller suggested the mugger meet the same hanging fate as deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein - "but with barbed wire."
A female caller warned: "If I catch him, that [expletive], I'm going to mess him up." A male voice volunteered to "do to him what he did to her."
Another male caller urged prison-style justice, telling cops to "make sure every [person] in prison knows what he did."
Morat, who is amazingly tough and still spry after the incident, says, "I'm doing the best I can. I'm trying to avoid calls so I can recuperate on my own.
Interestingly, a former resident of Morat's building complex Calvin Hunt is planning on holding a rally today at the 103rd Precinct. Newsday reports that Hunt, who now lives in the Bronx, wants "to show support for a precinct whose officers came under fire in the wake of the Sean Bell shooting."
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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