A 99-year-old landlord suffered a stroke a day after being the victim of a brazen gunpoint push-in robbery at the Washington Heights apartment building he has managed for decades, police said Thursday.
Jose Antonio Tur was standing by the front gate of his building on W. 187th St. near Audubon Ave., waiting for a delivery, about 10 a.m. Monday when the masked and hooded gunman approached, cops said.
The robber pretended to be looking to pay a tenant’s rent when he suddenly struggled with the nonagenarian, then pulled a gun and pressed it against the elderly man’s throat, cops and relatives said.
Surveillance video reviewed by The News shows Tur walking ahead of the armed suspect, who is holding a gun to the building owner’s back.
He forced Tur into an office in the building, where he stole $20,000 in cash and ran off, police said.
Medics took Tur to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia with two broken fingers and a cut to his hand he suffered during the struggle with the gunman.
He returned home after being treated but went to the hospital about 3 a.m. the next day after suffering a small stroke “because of the trauma from the robbery,” Tur’s grandson told the Daily News.
The senior underwent emergency surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain and remained at the hospital Wednesday afternoon, the grandson said.
“I feel really bad,” said a building tenant who gave his name only as Rafael. “It’s a quiet neighborhood. No one says anything to anyone but we also don’t want anything to happen to anyone. It’s sad.”
Rafael, who has lived in the apartment building for nearly 50 years, said Tur is well liked in the building.
“He’s a good man. Very hardworking man,” said Rafael, whose own mother is 95 years old. “He has his own ways. He’s strict with things but he’s a great building owner. He could easily charge more rent from people but he doesn’t.”
Tur and his wife have been running the building for more than 40 years, Rafael said.
“It’s a family,” he said. “I know him, his wife. It’s all like family to me.”
He and other tenants were stunned by the daylight holdup.
“It has to be someone who knew what was up,” Rafael speculated. “You can’t just try to do something (like that) without knowing things.”
Cops released surveillance footage of the hooded suspect wanted for the holdup and are asking the public’s help identifying him and tracking him down.
He was wearing a black ski mask, black gloves, gray sweatshirt, black sweatpants and white sneakers.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
