The brutal assault on an 81-year-old woman on the Upper West Side has shocked many, especially considering the attacker, Hansel Esparragoza, was out on bail for a previous crime. Esparragoza, 37, had two open cases against him in Staten Island and was on supervised release when he randomly punched elderly Geula Freeman at West 66th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan on September 13.
Esparragoza, a Staten Island resident with 21 prior arrests, was held on $75,000 bail at his arraignment for the assault on Freeman. He had multiple arrest warrants for failing to appear in court for his previous cases when he attacked the elderly woman.
The suspect had been arrested on July 27 for exposing himself to a woman and her children outside a strip mall on Staten Island. He was also re-arrested for stealing a book from a Barnes & Noble store at the Staten Island Mall. However, due to the charges not being bail-eligible, he was released on supervised release.
In the Manhattan court hearing, prosecutors recounted the shocking attack on Freeman, where Esparragoza approached her and punched her in the jaw, knocking her unconscious. Freeman suffered a fractured nose and bruising to her face and neck as a result of the assault.
Esparragoza’s lawyer, Mariah Martinez, mentioned that her client struggles with mental health and substance abuse issues, which have not been addressed during his recent arrests. Prosecutors revealed that Esparragoza has a prior felony conviction for attempted assault.
Esparragoza faces three years in prison if convicted of assault in the second degree for the Upper West Side attack. Manhattan Judge Melissa Lewis acknowledged the need for mental health treatment for Esparragoza but emphasized the seriousness of the allegations before setting bail.
The shocking incident has raised concerns about the bail system and the need for better mental health support for individuals like Esparragoza. He is scheduled to appear in court again on October 9 for further proceedings.
