CARJACKER BEATS 91 YEAR OLD MAN AS BYSTANDERS LOOK ON

Monday , May 14, 2007

DETROIT — 

A convenience store surveillance video shows each punch 91-year-old Leonard Sims took to the side of his face during a carjacking.

But the tape also caught a group of people standing only feet away who either didn't see the attack or chose not to get involved.

"You can't really tell what they were focusing on," Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for the Wayne County prosecutor's office, said Monday.

Miller said at least one bystander did report the May 4 attack outside the store in Detroit.

Sims was outside his car in the store parking lot about 8:30 p.m. when a man walked up and asked for a light for his cigarette, according to the prosecutor's office.

The man then punched Sims at least a half-dozen times in the side of his head while Sims held onto the car door. The video also shows the man using the door to knock Sims to the ground before taking the keys and driving off in the 2005 Chevy Malibu.

Detroit police arrested the man last Thursday following a foot chase in Warren, just north of Detroit.

Deonte Edward Bradley, 22, of Detroit was arraigned Friday on assault with intent to do great bodily harm and carjacking in connection with the attack.

Officials at 36th District Court in Detroit said Monday that a lawyer had not yet been assigned to Bradley.

"Is there really any reason to beat a 91-year-old just to take his car?" Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement. "Carjacking is bad enough, but there was absolutely no reason for him to brutalize one of our senior citizens to accomplish his criminal goal."

A visibly bruised Sims told WDIV-TV that his attacker was of "very low character."

"If he wanted the car, he could have grabbed the keys and taken off," Sims said.

 A preliminary examination is scheduled for May 23.