NYC tourist got a black eye and a chipped tooth after being intentionally tripped at Penn Station

A New York City tourist was left with bruises, a black eye and a chipped tooth when a criminal intentionally tripped her after arriving at Penn Station for a theater trip her daughters gifted her as a Christmas present. 

Cyndi Gradwell, 72, of Ocean City, Maryland, arrived in NYC with her two daughters on Friday. As the trio was walking down Ninth Avenue between 35th and 36th streets in Hell’s Kitchen with their suitcases after enjoying a nice lunch, Kelvin Winfield started yelling at Gradwell’s daughters. 

He said: ‘Where are you going? Where are you going?’ as he walked closely behind the two women, with Gradwell behind them, according to ABC 7. 

Surveillance footage, obtained by the New York Post, shows Gradwell trying to move to go around him when he sticks his foot out and trips her, causing her to fall flat on her face, hitting her teeth. 

Winfield keeps moving forward as her daughters stop and one leaves her suitcase on the sidewalk to help her mother off the ground. Many people gather around the 72-year-old as she kneels on the ground and leans heavily on her suitcase as her daughter rubs her back and comforts her. 

Gradwell suffered a black eye and bruises, and said she had several of her teeth ‘knocked [loose],’ causing her to only to be able to eat mashed potatoes, eggs, and ‘spaghetti strands one at a time.’ 

  

Cyndi Gradwell, 72, of Ocean City, Maryland, was left with a black eye, a chipped tooth, and bruises after criminal Kelvin Winfield intentionally tripped her as she and her daughters walked down Ninth Avenue in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen district 

Her daughters gifted her a trip to New York City as a Christmas present and the ladies were walking down the street with their suitcases after enjoying a nice lunch together when Winfield started yelling at Gradwell’s daughters before cutting her off and tripping her 

‘My mouth hurts a little bit, because a couple of my teeth were knocked [loose]. I need to go to a dental surgeon, so I can’t eat,’ she told ABC 7. 

Police have reportedly arrested Winfield, who has six prior arrests, including a 2019 assault at Penn Station, according to the New York Post. 

Gradwell, who has been in the city many times and enjoys the theater district, said she won’t be returning to New York after the assault. It was unclear if she was in town to watch a specific play or musical. 

Gradwell isn’t the only one hesitant to return to the Big Apple due to crime, which is up almost 45 percent with felony assaults up 19 percent compared to the same time last year. 

All areas of violent crime, except murder, are up with shooting victims, rape and robbery up 16.9, 23.7 and 46.1 percent, respectively. 

Winfield, who has six prior arrests, reportedly shouted: ‘Where are you going’ to her daughters as she tried to veer around him 

He intentionally moved toward her (pictured) before sticking his foot out to trip her

Winfield (pictured in a white and black coat) tripped Gradwell (pictured on the ground) as she walked down the street 

‘My mouth hurts a little bit, because a couple of my teeth were knocked [loose]. I need to go to a dental surgeon, so I can’t eat,’ she told ABC 7

A 12-year-old died in Brooklyn earlier this week as he and his 20-year-old cousin Jenna Ellis and another female relative, eight, were sitting in a car eating Boston Market when a shooter shot several bullets into their car. 

Kade Lewin was shot in the head and chest with multiple bullets after he and two relatives pulled over to eat their Boston Market food on East 56th Street and Linden Boulevard in East Flatbush at around 7:45 p.m. on Thursday. He was pronounced dead at the scene after the shooter fired 11 bullets into the Toyota Corolla.

His cousin Jenna Ellis, 20, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, was hit in the upper leg and right cheek. She was rushed to Kings County Hospital where she is expected to survive, but remains in critical condition. She had recently gotten her license and was driving Lewin’s mother’s car. Lewin and Ellis were reportedly very close and saw each other frequently.

The eight-year-old relative was left uninjured.  

Investigators believe the family was not targeted. A source told the New York Daily News that the gunman was targeting someone who drives a similar make and model car.

Immediately after the shooting, two black sedans were reported to have fled the scene at high speeds.

Crime is up almost 45 percent in the Big Apple, with assault up 19 percent 

The NY Post reported a witness as saying: ‘I heard eight shots and I would say within 20 seconds of the shots, I saw a car on the corner facing East New York Avenue… and they almost got into an accident with oncoming traffic.’

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said the force will use ‘every possible resource’ to find the shooter.

‘We have a number of leads that we intend to follow up on [Friday] and when we have some information we will make sure we will put it out.

‘We cannot lose sight of the fact that there are people being hurt in our streets. There’s violence affecting our communities, and it has to stop,’ she added.

Lewin’s mother Suzette is hoping an arrest will be made soon and for justice to be brought for her son.

‘Just justice,’ she told the New York Daily News. ‘Justice for my baby.’

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk