A car wash employee in the Van Nest neighborhood was hospitalized with a gun shot wound to the leg after a customer got into a verbal dispute with the employee, pulled a gun and shot the worker.

 

Police officials say the shooting took place inside the B&G hand carwash, located at 1243 East Tremont Avenue at Van Nest Avenue, just after 2 p.m., on Sunday, Oct. 17.

The NYPD is now asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the individual seen in the attached video and photograph who is wanted for questioning in connection to the assault.

 

Police said that on the day of the incident, “A 26-year-old male victim, who is an employee of the car wash, approached an individual attempting to vacuum his own vehicle. The victim tried to explain that only employees can handle the equipment.”

The police source added, “The individual angrily left the location and returned approximately 30 minutes later. The individual displayed a firearm and shot the victim in the left leg.”

 

NYPD officials said EMS responded to the location, removed the victim to NYC Health and Hospitals/Jacobi in stable condition and that the assailant fled the location in an unknown direction.

 

 

The assailant is described as a male with a dark complexion who was last seen wearing all black clothing. We have asked the NYPD to clarify if the photo and video are taken from the location of the shooting or from another location and will update this story upon receipt of their response.

 

According to unconfirmed posts about the incident by users of the Citizens App, the suspect fled in a BMW onto Van Nest Avenue, towards East 180th Street.

 

One Citizens App user, “Aaliyah621,” remarked, “I was 200 feet away and I didn’t see anything. I heard a sound as I was on my phone and looked up to see people scattering, and the man that was shot was holding his leg.”

Police continue to investigate the incident.

 

Anyone with information regarding 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 CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

 

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.