A Manhattan man has been arrested for the vicious beating of the beloved 90-year-old owner of the famed Ray’s Candy Store in the East Village, police said.
Luis Peroza, 39, also of the East Village, was busted and charged with assault Friday in connection to the twisted attack.
Ray Alvarez was left with a black eye and broken bones in his face from the shocking assault.
The feisty victim was back at work the following day but ultimately required medical attention, checking himself in Thursday night to Beth Israel Hospital, where doctors treated him for extensive injuries.
Alvarez, who also had his jaw dislocated and is only able to eat through a straw, fumed the beating never would’ve happened if there were more cops patrolling the neighborhood.
“I have three broken bones, one here [the side of his face], one in my cheek, one in my eye, my jaw is dislocated,” said Alvarez following the beating.
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He was randomly attacked around 3 a.m. Tuesday by a stranger who asked him if he wanted to buy a package he was carrying, cops said.
When Alvarez asked what was inside the box, the perp handed it off to another man — and threatened to kill the elderly man, police said.
“They had soda. They wanted to sell it to me. I said no. One punched my head and my chest. One-handed [the soda] to the other guy, ‘Hold this, I’m going to kill this guy,’” Alvarez recalled Thursday, adding, “I couldn’t believe it.”
“There is a lot of crime because there are not enough police. We used to have police on foot patrol, walking up and down. No more,” Alvarez added.
“Today we informed Ray that we identified and apprehended the perpetrator responsible for this heinous crime. Special thanks to Warrants Section, 9th Detective Squad, and Intelligent Division,” the 9th Precinct tweeted Saturday.
Peroza’s arraignment was pending.
