Police arrested an 18-year-old suspect in the punch-grab-and-run mugging of a 62-year-old woman in front of the Catholic school where she is a teacher. Patricia McGowan was approached by a young man in front of the Good Shepherd School before 7 a.m. this past Monday, who then shoved her against the school's front gate and then punched her hard in the face, knocking McGowan to the ground. Surveillance tapes captured the whole attack on tape, which led to Eric Ferguson's arrest Friday morning.
Ferguson's attack on McGowan was just the latest in a week-long crime spree, including one robbery during which he stabbed a food delivery man. When cops arrested Ferguston at a friend's house, he was wearing pieces of clothing stolen in the other robberies and apologized for brutally attacking a 62-year-old woman.
In addition to the robberies of cash and bags, Ferguson allegedly admitted to the theft of both McGowan's car and the car of a Chinese delivery man who he lured to his grandmother's home and robbing him. McGowan picked Ferguson's picture from a photo array of known criminals from the area where her car was recovered.
Police found Ferguson at his friend's house because his grandmother recognized him in the surveillance video that police released to the media following the mugging. Disgusted, the grandmother threw her grandson out of her house. When police came around looking for him, she directed them to his friend's home in the Bronx.
