The elderly owner, 90, of the legendary NYC candy store is brutally beaten with a ROCK by a thug who threatened to kill him outside the East Village store he’s run for nearly 50 years
- The attack occurred at 3 a.m. ET Tuesday and left Ray Alvarez with a black eye
- Photos show the aftermath of the attack, which police say took place when two strangers known to be selling seltzer water in the area approached the senior
- Alvarez refused the request and parted ways with the two men just before 3 a.m., but one of the strangers returned and attacked Alvarez, who is back at work
The 90-year-old owner of Ray’s Candy Store in Manhattan was brutally beaten by a still-at-large gunman outside his iconic store.
The attack happened outside the 24-hour convenience store early Tuesday morning and left a black eye on the egg custard spin shop retailer, known to many as Ray Alvarez.
Photos show the aftermath of the attack, which police say took place when two strangers known to be selling seltzer water in the area approached the senior.
Alvarez declined the request and separated from the two men just before 3 a.m.
Shortly after, however, one of the strangers — a baklava-clad man pushing a shopping cart — returned and attacked the shopkeeper, police said. Alvarez, an Iranian immigrant who has been a fixture in the East Village for decades, has since returned to work. He has owned and operated the store since 1974.
Ray Alvarez, the 90-year-old owner of Ray’s Candy Store, was attacked with a rock by an unknown assailant Tuesday night. He is now back to work
The suspect – a baclava-clad man pushing a shopping trolley – was caught on camera fleeing and being sought by cops after it was revealed he carried out the attack using an object described as a belt with a heavy rock at the end
The suspect, who was caught on camera fleeing the scene of the crime, is now being sought by investigators after it was revealed he carried out the attack using an object described as a belt with a heavy rock at the end.
A hit with the makeshift weapon reportedly left Alvarez, who had been working the night shift at the legendary A Avenue store, bleeding on the ground as the suspect fled down the avenue.
Another of Ray’s associates who had been working with Alvarez overnight was also shot in the chest in the attack. The couple did not require hospitalization and only called the police the next day.
Alvarez, who had worked the night shift at the legendary store he owns since 1974, was left bleeding on the ground while the suspect fled down the street
They told Ninth Precinct Police that the officer was hit in the chest and Alvarez was hit in the left side of his face. He formally filed a report with the precinct Wednesday night after reporting back for his shift.
Officials were seen at the store Wednesday night to hear Alvarez’s account of the altercation – now the subject of an official investigation.
According to East Village blog EV Grieve, Alvarez – who was badly bruised and had a noticeable glow – told police he went outside with his colleagues to get some air before he was approached by the two men.
He said he didn’t know the men personally, but said they were known to sell seltzer in the area. Both employees were reportedly hit only once during the early morning attack, sparking outrage among East Village residents.
In an update to their investigation Thursday, police said the stranger initially threatened to kill Alvarez before returning to the scene with what appeared to be a home-made weapon.
Alvarez, an Iranian immigrant who turned 90 last month, has been a fixture in the East Village for decades, tossing custard and ice cream in the shop
The A Avenue store — which nearly faced foreclosure during the pandemic — serves as a callback to a time when such soda shops abounded on the streets of New York