ASTORIA – An Astoria resident, 78-year-old Elias Bournias, was robbed and assaulted around 10:30 AM on February 17 in front of a convenience store on 31st Street in Astoria.

Police said “Bournias, was purchasing cigarettes from the front window when a male suspect threw him to the ground and forcibly removed hundreds of dollars in cash from him. Bournias sustained an injury to the back of his head and was transported to Elmhurst Hospital, where he received stitches and was held overnight for observation,” according to ABC News.

Bournias was released the following day and was welcomed home by members of his family, which included his son, well-known musician Lefteris Bournias.

“We are taking him to his cardiologist. The stents in his heart were disrupted and he lost a lot of blood,” the son told The National Herald.

Police are searching for a suspect and they’re hoping surveillance video of the brutal attack will lead to an arrest.

The NYPD asks that anyone with information about the attack call its Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.

Police describe the suspect as a white male, approximately 35 years old, 5-foot-9, 200 pounds. He has a light complexion and brown eyes and had on a black jacket with white stripes on the sleeves and a white hooded jacket, blue jeans and tan boots.

The News reported that “Police say the suspect had been inside the deli for about 30 minutes and had seen Bournias take out the cash, and that’s when he pounced, tackling Bournias outside, punching him the face and fleeing down the street. Bournias was still in good spirits, and while he admits he was being careless by exposing his cash, he said he never saw the attack coming.”
Bournias told ABC “I didn’t expect at 10 o’clock in the morning, on busy street with cops all the time…I didn’t expect it, that’s why I was careless. I wasn’t careful.”