A longtime tailor on East 27th Street was beaten, stabbed, and robbed during a broad daylight robbery on Monday afternoon. Police say the unidentified robber entered Apel’s New Day Tailor Shop near Third Avenue at about 12:40 p.m. and stabbed the 78-year-old proprietor multiple times in the chest while demanding money. The victim struggled, but finally relented and gave the intruder $80 from his pants pocket. According to police, the robber took the money and stabbed the tailor several more times before fleeing the store, heading east on East 27th.

Police did not name the victim, but the Daily News says he's Apel Tamagoglu, a father of two who resides in the building. He sustained "numerous stab wounds to his chest, lacerations to his face, a fractured skull and a punctured left lung," during the attack, according to the NYPD.

Tamagoglu reportedly "left a trail of blood" as he stumbled out of the shop crying for help. 911 was called, and first responders rushed him to an area hospital, where police say he was in critical but stable condition last night. Investigators released video of the suspect, who they describe as "40 to 50 years old, 5'8 to 5'11, 160 to 190lbs, with a beard; last seen wearing a blue hooded coat, blue jeans and black sneakers."

"He had a gash on his face and he was holding onto his stomach. I believe he had a gash on his stomach,” Matthew Moreno, a nearby barber, tells the News. "There was blood all over the floor. There’s a blood trail going from his door all the way down to the area (outside the shop)."

Anthony Portelli, the building's superintendent, also tells the News, "I always have some stuff that needs to be tailored and he does it for free. I try to give him money and he shoves it back. He’s that type of guy, always helping everybody out. "This is a quiet neighborhood. That’s why I’m in shock that it happened over here, especially in broad daylight."

But one neighbor recalled that this isn't the first time the tailor has been attacked. “About a year-and-a-half ago, similar scene, someone busted in and punched him in the face, took his cell phone,” Daniel Davies tells CBS2. "Every time I ask him how long he’s been here, he says ‘how old are you?’ I say, ’30,’ he says, ‘longer than you’ve been alive.'"

ABC 7 also reports that Tamagoglu followed the robber down the street with a chair immediately following the robbery. They have video:

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.