A 16-year-old boy has been charged with assault, robbery, and grand larceny for an attack on a 68-year-old woman who was shoved down a flight of steps in front of Saint Demetrios Greek Orthdox Church last week.
The vicious attack was captured on surveillance video, as CrimeOnline previously reported. The boy was seen following the woman as she walked down the sidewalk to the Queens church on April 7, then he rushed in front of her to the top of the steps and shoved her backwards before rifling through her belongings and fleeing with her purse. He ran to her car and used her keys to steal it.
The boy, who has not been identified because of his age, was also charged with robbery for allegedly stealing another woman’s car on April 4.
“The viciousness with which the defendant is accused of having committed the robbery at the church struck the city at its core,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “As alleged, he chose to rob an elderly woman by first pushing her down the stairs and then proceeded to take her purse and leave her to suffer while he took off in her car. He will now have to answer for the serious charges levied against him by my office.”
The boy also faces charges of criminal possession of stolen property and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
The victim was identified as Irene Tahliambouris. The district attorney’s office said she was taken to a hospital with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. She remains in critical but stable condition and is unable to stand or move on her own.
In the April 4 incident, the boy allegedly followed a woman into an elevator and demanded money and her car keys. He took the keys and fled in her car.
