NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A 16-year-old boy was charged on Friday for allegedly punching a woman in the face and knocking her down a Queens church staircase last week before stealing her purse and taking off in her car.
The teen was charged with robbery, assault, grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced.
Police did not release the name of the suspect.
The attack happened on April 7 as the victim, Irene Tahliambouris, 68, was outside Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Briarwood at around 8:20 a.m.
The teen allegedly sucker punched her, causing her to fall down the flight of stairs, police said.
He then stole her purse, which had $300 cash, a cell phone, credit card and car keys, according to cops.
He then fled in the victim's 2006 Nissan Altima, police said.
The victim was taken to New York-Presbyterian Queens, where she was admitted in critical condition. She sustained a fractured skull and a black eye.
"The viciousness with which the defendant is accused of having committed the robbery at the church struck the city at its core," 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 teen suspect was separately charged with robbery for an unrelated incident on April 4 during which he is accused of stealing another woman's car.
The defendant was charged with assault in the first degree, robbery in the first degree, assault in the second degree, two counts of grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree for the attack on April 7.
He was also charged in the April 4 case with two counts of robbery in the first degree, two counts of robbery in the second degree, grand larceny in the third degree, robbery in the third degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, three counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, menacing in the second degree, petit larceny and unauthorized use of a vehicle in the third degree.
Arraignment is pending, Katz said. If convicted, the teen faces up to 25 years in prison.
