Riverhead police say a homeless man was beaten and robbed by the railroad tracks in Polish Town Sunday. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)
Authorities have released more information about a Sunday mugging in Polish Town, now offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest in the case.
A 33-year-old homeless man suffered serious head injuries after he was beaten and robbed on the Long Island Rail Road tracks just west of Marcy Avenue around 12:45 p.m. on Sunday, police said.
The victim told police that two or three men beat him in the face and head with an unknown object, “possibly a nearby tree branch,” and robbed him of $400 cash, according to a report. He was allegedly robbed while walking on Osborn Avenue and then dragged to an area west of Marcy Avenue.
The victim was found bleeding heavily from the face and head at the BP gas station on West Main Street in Riverhead, police said.
The numbers of suspects involved in the beating had previously thought to number two or three, though police confirmed on Friday that two black men in their mid-30s were last seen on on foot near Pulaski Street. One man was reportedly wearing all black, and the other was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.
Police Chief David Hegermiller said earlier this week that Sunday’s assault may be related to a string of other assaults in the area this year. It was the fifth assault on a Hispanic person in the downtown Riverhead area this year, he said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 631-727-4500, ext. 289 of 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
