A homeless man attacked two elderly diners sitting outside a Lower Manhattan coffee shop for refusing to give him money, the New York Police Department reported Thursday.
The 47-year-old homeless man confronted the two diners outside of Think Coffee in NoHo, telling them they 'were being disrespectful for not giving him money', according to the New York Post.
He then allegedly shoved the 61-year-old to the ground and hit the 75-year-old in the side, before fleeing.
The victims suffered minor injuries but they both refused medical attention at the scene.
The incident joins a string of recent attacks by homeless people in New York City amid a harrowing surge in crime.
A pair of elderly diners outside of Think Coffee on Bleeker Street in Lower Manhattan (file photo) were allegedly attacked by a homeless man who claimed they were being 'disrespectful for not giving him money'
The incident comes just days after former mayoral candidate Andrew Yang came under fire for remarks he made about homeless people.
In the last mayoral debate last week, Yang made an impassioned plea to get more treatment for mentally ill homeless people.
'Yes, mentally ill people have rights, but you know who else has rights? We do - The people and families of our city,' he said. 'We have the right to walk the streets and not fear for our safety because a mentally ill person is going to lash out at us.'
Former New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang said dangerously mentally ill people should be forced off the streets
He added that 'mentally ill homeless men are changing the character of our neighborhoods' and that families are fleeing the city as a result.
He further claimed a friend of his wife's had recently been 'punched in the face by a vagrant in [the Manhattan neighborhood of] Hell's Kitchen'.
'This is happening in New York City, and we're not talking enough about it. We owe people and families better than this,' he blasted.
Yang vowed to double the number of 'psych beds' in the city, and stated: 'There will be no recovery until we resolve this'.
However, the other Democrat candidates - most of whom are further left- have hit out at Yang's remarks.
Candidate Scott Stringer snapped, saying: 'You can't say, "Psych beds for all". This is a teaching moment. This is not how the next mayor has to comport themselves.'
Meanwhile, AOC-backed candidate Maya Wiley called Yang 'cruel', while candidate Eric Adams - a former NYPD cop - said he was 'really disturbed' by Yang's comments and added that mental illness shouldn't be 'criminalized.'
A man sleeps on the sidewalk outside the busy Moynihan Train Hall in Midtown Manhattan
Homeless people are seen sleeping near West 40th St. and Broadway on Thursday. Crime in the area has spiked 170%
Yang ultimately dropped out of the race on Tuesday, as violent crime continues to increase.
The Manhattan South police district - which includes the area around tourist-heavy Times Square and Penn Station - has spiked by 170 percent compared to last year's figures.
Pictures taken by DailyMail.com on Thursday showed homeless people in the area sleeping on sidewalks without shoes, using drugs and drinking alcohol, or passed out next to empty or smashed bottles.
People in the city
