Elderly man suffers brain damage after deli attack

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - An elderly Bronx man has a broken jaw and brain swelling after he was attacked inside of a deli in the Woodlawn Heights neighborhood.

The NYPD says it happened about 5:40 a.m. at a deli on Webster Avenue.

An 82-year-old man got involved in a verbal dispute with an unidentified man.  Police say it escalated into a physical altercation.

Police say the attacker punched the elderly man in the face, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground.  EMS took the victim to Montefiore North Hospital with a broken jaw and brain swelling.  His current condition is unknown.

The attacker took off in a white Dodge van with New Jersey plates in an unknown direction.  The person wanted for questioning is described as Hispanic, 45-50 years old, and was last seen wearing a gray hooded shirt and dark pants.

Anyone with information in regard to the identity of the man is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.  Police say that all calls are kept strictly confidential.