A German immigrant has died after being beaten unconscious by a man on a moped on the sidewalk outside a Hell's Kitchen bar, police said Monday.
Florian Ortmann, 38, died Friday at Bellevue Hospital, three days after he and a friend were found unconscious during an altercation with a moped driver.
Ortman and the other victim, a 56-year-old man visiting on a business trip from Illinois, had left Rudy's Bar & Grill on Ninth Avenue near West 43rd Street and were walking to a waiting Uber when a moped driver ran into the elderly victim, striking him in the arm.
Police say this sparked an argument, during which the moped driver quickly turned around and began arguing with the two men. During the argument, the moped driver allegedly punched the elderly victim in the face, knocking him unconscious.
Police said Ortman tried to stop the attack but was punched in the face, causing him to stumble backwards onto the sidewalk, hitting the back of his head on the concrete.
The other victim was taken to Mount Sinai West Hospital where he was treated and released.
The suspect fled the scene and is currently at large. The suspect is a black man, approximately 5'10″ tall, with braided black hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt and black pants with white stripes down the legs.
Police released CCTV footage of the suspect last week and are asking the public to help identify and track him down.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
