By Bill Parry
A 56-year-old church-going Filipino man from Elmhurst died Tuesday morning at Elmhurst Hospital Center after he was brutally attacked around midnight in Woodside Saturday night, police say.
Robert Martires succumbed to his injuries after he was punched in the face by an unknown assailant and struck his head on the pavement in front of 69-04 Roosevelt Ave., according to the NYPD.
The investigation was ongoing with police looking for a male Hispanic in his early to mid-20s with facial hair.
The suspect was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and a dark colored baseball cap.
“The attack is even more heinous if it was, in fact, motivated by hate as some have suggested,” Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights) said. “Queens, the borough of diversity and community, will not tolerate such hatred and violence in our midst. An attack on an innocent person is an attack on all of us. I urge the public to share any information they might have about the assault with the NYPD so the assailant can be brought to justice. Hate in anyone’s heart is a threat to everyone.
Those with information should contact NYPD’s Crimestoppers by calling 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting its website or texting 274637 (CRIMES) and entering TIP577.
