Career criminal, 39, appears in court charged with beating Ray's Candy Store ... trends now

A career criminal has appeared in court charged with the brutal beating and attempted robbery of the owner of the iconic Ray’s Candy Store in the East Village.

Luis Peroza, 39, covered his face with a mask and looked glum as he stood before a judge at Manhattan Criminal Court on February 5.

He spoke to confirm his name and told the hearing that he was homeless and lives in a shelter on the east side of Manhattan.

Exclusive pictures taken by DailyMail.com show the serial thief looking down with his hands behind his back during the court hearing.

Peroza and Gerald Barth, 55, are accused of beating Ray Alvarez with a rock after they failed to steal anything from the store on January 31.

During the hearing, his bail was set at $200,000, and he was given the alternative of a $250,000 bond – with a partially secured bond available. 

However, he said that he didn’t have the money and remains in the Eric M Taylor Center until his next hearing on February 9. 

Alvarez, 90, was left with a black eye and eating through a straw because of the horrific attack – after Peroza beat him with a rock attached to a belt.

The attack also saw another Ray's employee hit in the chest while working overnight with Alvarez.

The pair did not require hospitalizations and only called cops the next day - with the NYPD then releasing footage of the suspected attackers. 

Police believed that Peroza and Barth were responsible for a string of robberies in the area, and confirmed that Peroza has 10 prior arrests going back to 2001.

Along with robberies, Peroza has been previously arrested for assaults, criminal mischief and petit larceny.

The violent attack on Alvarez took place outside the 24-hour candy store when balaclava-clad Peroza threatened to kill the pensioner.