79-Year-Old Vet and Wife Celebrating Birthday Knocked Down by 5 in NYC
A Vietnam War veteran and his wife, celebrating her 75th birthday, were injured in a random attack in Lower Manhattan, leaving the elderly couple hospitalized with multiple injuries.
Martin Landsman, 79, and his wife Rosalyn, 75, were walking on Canal Street near Lafayette Street around 2 p.m. when they were struck from behind by a group of five attackers.
The couple, Long Island residents, were planning a trip to the Staten Island Ferry to celebrate Rosalyn’s birthday, but their day took a violent turn.
According to police, the attackers were unlicensed vendors fleeing a police raid when they barreled into the couple, knocking them unconscious. Rosalyn suffered a broken collarbone and four ribs, while Martin sustained a swollen ankle and back pain.
“We were walking, and the next thing I know, I was on the ground,” Rosalyn recounted from her hospital room at Bellevue Hospital. “It was like a herd running over something,” added Martin, a former hospital administrator.
Rosalyn’s injuries required immediate X-rays, and she is still recovering from dizziness and other symptoms caused by hitting her head on the concrete. Despite the pain, she remains optimistic. “We’ll get over this,” she said.
Martin, who grew up in New York, expressed his frustration with the state of the city. “I’ve lived here my whole life, and this is a low point. I don’t understand why we can’t control this situation,” he said, referencing the rampant illegal street vending on Canal Street.
The suspects were still at large, and the NYPD released their photos, asking the public for assistance in identifying the attackers.
This incident occurred just a week after another elderly woman was violently assaulted in a similar unprovoked attack in Lower Manhattan.
As the city grapples with rising concerns over public safety, Martin and Rosalyn Landsman’s story highlights the dangers facing even longtime residents. The NYPD continues to search for the attackers while the couple focuses on recovery, with Rosalyn vowing to persevere despite her injuries.