Supermarket Attack Suspect Arrested; Bragg Returns Antiquities to Peru

The senior-shoving recidivist who attacked an 86-year-old woman in front of the Morton Williams at 1066 Third Ave. on Sunday, March 23, has been arrested. Crime Watch reported the initial incident under the headline “Senior Attacked at Supermarket.”

The victim was approached from behind and pushed hard to the ground, causing injuries to her left eye, back, and teeth. She was taken by EMS to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in stable condition. Her attacker fled on foot.

On May 8, the 19th Precinct X account announced an arrest in the case. “Thank you to all who assisted with the investigation,” the courteous cops concluded.

The suspect, a 48-year-old black male named Dwayne Robertson, was handcuffed on April 18. It’s notable that his given address is 600 E. 125th St., home of the Manhattan Psychiatric Center on Wards Island.

At his April 19 arraignment, Robertson pleaded not guilty to felony assault, with bail set at $5,003 cash. Robertson is presently being held on Rikers Island. His next scheduled court date is June 18.

Department of Corrections and court records show Robertson is 5-foot-6, 160 pounds—also facing charges of petit larceny in Queens; drug possession (crack) in Manhattan and has two warrants for parole violation.

D.A. Bragg Returns Eight Antiquities to Peru

On Thursday, May 15, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced the return of eight antiquities to the people of Peru. The items were returned during a ceremony at the Peruvian Consulate at 211 E. 49th St.

“Many of the objects being repatriated today are from areas of Peru that have been repeatedly targeted by looters,” said DA Bragg, “but today we were able to undo some of the harm they have caused.”

“The return of these eight astonishing artifacts, representing diverse pre-Columbian Peruvian cultures, is a testament to our commitment to safeguarding our cultural patrimony,” said Consul General Minister Oswaldo Del Águila Ramírez.

According to the DA’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit, many of the objects being repatriated today are from Peru’s North Coast, where local looters have destroyed countless archaeological sites over the past 50 years. Objects were smuggled into the US and laundered by dealers and collectors through false provenances, exhibitions, and museum donations.

Among the more remarkable pieces is a Moche gilded copper mask dating to circa 300 BCE, possibly depicting the god Aiapæc, who is often shown baring his fangs to ward off evil.

“Moche artists were remarkable metalworkers, employing sophisticated techniques such as electrochemical replacement plating, long before such processes were recognized elsewhere,” the DA’s announcement explained.

“This mask came from the heavily looted area of Loma Negra on the North Coast of Peru. Countless deep-shaft tombs were plundered in the 1960s and 1970s, and hundreds of intricate metal objects like this mask were dispersed on the international art market.”