The knockout punches came without warning, as 79-year-old Orthodox Jew Natfali Lebovits fell to the ground from the blows.
The Daily News reported that Raven Small, 20, and Tatyana Bone, 18, were arrested as suspects shortly after the incident that occurred on Sunday at 1:10 a.m. in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.
An epidemic of these kinds of senseless attacks on unsuspecting victims have surfaced in cities across the nation. Many of the victims of the so called “knockout game” have been seriously injured and in some cases have suffered fatalities.
Police at the scene said that the motive for the attack was unclear and that Lebovits was taken to NYU Langone Medical Center by the Jewish first responder group Hatzolah. According to the Jewish political news website JP-UPDATES, Lebovits is a well-known member of the local Jewish community and was walking on Taylor Street when he was allegedly struck by the two women.
Witnesses to the incident called Shomrim, a local Jewish neighborhood watch group created specifically for orthodox communities, who arrived quickly and followed the alleged perpetrators. The women attempted to flee and entered 541 Whyte Ave., but the NYPD showed up in time to arrest them. Both women were charged with assault.
Fortunately, the elderly Natfali Lebovits was released from the hospital on Sunday morning, and it appears that his injuries were minor. Aside from the head blows, he received injuries to his hands when he fell.
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