Bystander, 72, dies after being bumped into by man being chased in Harlem

MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — A 72-year-old woman died after she was bumped into by a man being chased by an armed suspect during a fight near a Harlem apartment building last month, police said Friday.

The woman fell and hit her head on the pavement after the man crashed into her in front of 720 Lenox Ave. in Harlem at around 5 p.m. on Aug. 3, according to the NYPD. The bystander, identified as Martha Rodriguez, was rushed to the hospital with head injuries and died three days later, police said.

The man was running from another man who pulled a sharp object and began chasing him during an argument outside the apartment building, police said. Rodgriguez was accidentally pushed to the ground during the pursuit.

Police responded to the incident after hospital staff called 911 about the woman’s condition, officials said.

The city’s medical examiner’s office deemed the incident a homicide.

There have been no arrests and the investigation is ongoing.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org , downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.

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