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The world has been left in shock after the 90-year-old owner of Ray's Candy was brutally assaulted and beaten up by a stranger outside the shop.
The Ray’s Candy owner, Ray Alvarez, was left with a black eye and a deep cut on his face after the person allegedly attacked him. Officials have reported that the incident took place around 3 am on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
As per the authorities, Ray is recovering and has returned to work after the incident. One of Ray’s Candy’s employees said that the alleged incident took place after a man approached them under the guise of selling bottled water. The employee, Gabe Thorne, said:
"Out of nowhere pulls out a piece of rope with a rubber ball on the end, and hits me right here, I'm like wow.”
As soon as the Ray's Candy employees ran inside, the man started hitting Ray. Thorne added that even after being hurt, Ray did not want to go to the hospital but just wanted to rest for a bit before returning to work. At the moment, the police are searching for the suspect and are looking for any clues or help from civilians.
Meanwhile, netizens are in shock and dismay after hearing about the incident, and a few are even stating how it would not have taken place if there were more cops patrolling the neighborhood.
“Heal up, Ray! We love you”: Social media users wish a speedy recovery to Ray's Candy owner
As the world learned about their favorite Ray’s Candy’s owner being brutally hit, posts from all over the USA started pouring in on social media. People are in shock and are questioning how someone could think of attacking a 90-year-old.
Others are sending their good wishes to Ray and wishing him a speedy recovery. One social media user said:
“Ray's Candy Store is a NYC institution! What kind of P.O.S. attacks a 90 year old?! Heal up, Ray! We love you!”
“There is a lot of crime because there is not enough police”: Ray Alvarez speaks after the incident
After the incident, the Ray's Candy's owner quickly resumed going back to his candy shop, but he did talk about how he felt that it all happened due to the negligence of the patrolling officers.
He mentioned how it would have never happened if there were more cops around the neighborhood. Ray said:
“There is a lot of crime because there is not enough police. We used to have police on foot patrol, walking up and down. No more.”
Ray also addressed the incident and talked about how the man walked up to him and threatened to kill him. Talking about how he couldn’t believe what happened to him, he said:
“I went down, bleeding, I thought I’m never going to make it. He hit me in a very bad spot. I just want to lay down.”
Ray's Candy sells fries, shakes, soft serves, hot dogs, egg creams, and much more. The store has been around since 1974 and is extremely popular amongst the people in New York.
