Shocking Bronx Attack: Longtime Fruit Vendor Beaten to Death with Baseball Bat!
A 56-year-old fruit vendor and father of three was brutally beaten with a baseball bat in an unprovoked attack in the Bronx earlier this month. The victim, Leslie Sanchez, was attacked on September 12 by two men, Romel Jarrett, 37, and Terrence Downes, 44, near his usual selling spot on East Fordham Road in Morris Heights.
According to authorities, the two men wrestled Sanchez to the ground and struck him in the head with the bat. He was immediately rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. Unfortunately, Sanchez succumbed to his injuries two days later, on September 14.
Law enforcement sources have described the attack as unprovoked, though one witness reported seeing a brief argument between Sanchez and his attackers just before the incident occurred.
Sanchez’s family and friends are devastated by the loss. A family friend, Pearson, spoke highly of Sanchez, remembering him as a peaceful and hardworking man who loved his family dearly.
“He was a good father,” Pearson said. “Everything he did was for his family. This is just so sad. It was so cold-hearted. It was senseless. He just had a baby boy!”
Sanchez leaves behind two boys and a girl, with his youngest son being just a baby. His wife is reportedly coping as best as she can, though Pearson declined to give more details.
Sanchez had been selling fruits and vegetables on the corner of East Fordham Road for five years, according to Pearson. He had initially hoped to work closer to home but eventually settled on his now-familiar spot. He had purchased a white truck to help with his business, and that’s how he got started.
Pearson fondly remembered how Sanchez took care of his children when they were younger. She shared how he used to sit outside with them while they played with toy cars. “Once, his daughter wouldn’t stop, and he had to chase her down the street,” Pearson recalled with a smile.
Sadly, Sanchez was beaten so severely that his body had to be concealed with a hat during his funeral to hide the extent of the injuries. He has since been cremated.
In a tribute to the beloved vendor, Pearson placed a sign in the window of his former building that read, “RIP Poppy Street Vendor Sanchez. Miss you,” accompanied by a photo of Sanchez and flowers on either side of the sign. Three small electric candles lined the windowsill as a symbol of remembrance.
Pearson shared that Sanchez was the type of person who always helped those in need. “If I needed money or anything else, he’d help me out,” she said. “He was an all-out good guy. He was the ideal ‘love thy neighbor’ type of person.”
The two suspects, Romel Jarrett and Terrence Downes were arrested a day before Sanchez passed away. They were arraigned on charges of second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault. However, the charges could be upgraded when they face a new indictment on October 15, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.
“I just want justice for Leslie,” Pearson said. “As long as these people are off the streets, the City is a little safer. It makes me feel a little better knowing they’re behind bars.”
Jarrett has a history of arrests, with one for third-degree assault just last month and another for petit larceny in May 2022. Downes also has a lengthy rap sheet, including drug possession charges and an attempted murder arrest in 2002.
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The community mourns the loss of Sanchez, who will be remembered as a loving father, a hardworking vendor, and a friend to many.