In a shocking incident that left an East Village couple battered and traumatized, a group of unauthorized energy workers violently attacked them after being confronted. Wayne Rada, 52, and his husband Rey Rosa, 36, found themselves in a nightmarish situation when the men knocked on their apartment door on March 5, attempting to sell energy services. Suspicious of the visitors who hadn’t rung their buzzer for access to the building, the couple emerged from their apartment and asked the men to leave, as their building did not allow soliciting. However, the situation quickly escalated into a brutal beatdown.
The couple’s doorbell camera footage, obtained by The Post, captured the moment they confronted the men in the stairwell of their building. Rosa took out his phone to snap a photo of the group, triggering a violent response. One of the men swatted Rosa’s phone away while the others attacked Rada, knocking him to the ground and causing him to lose four teeth in the process. Rosa described being choked and lifted off the ground by his neck, a terrifying experience that Rada managed to intervene in and save him from.
Rada’s bravery didn’t stop there. In an attempt to distract the attackers and protect his husband, he grabbed their phones from their pockets and tossed them down the stairs. This caused the assailants to scramble for their belongings, giving the couple a chance to escape back to their apartment. However, the ordeal was far from over. Doorbell footage captured two of the attackers pounding on their front door, demanding the return of their belongings. Their threats were chilling, promising violence upon entry and declaring that the couple would not be safe when the police arrived.
Thankfully, the police did respond to the disturbance and arrested four men – Esteban Nunez, Ameer Alonzo, Sambou Macalou, and Daniel Espina – charging them with assault and disorderly conduct. The couple, however, remains fearful of living in their home after the brutal attack. Rada suffered severe injuries, including an orbital fracture, a concussion, and extensive bruising all over his face and body. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear. The couple suspects that the group may have been posing as energy consultants, although the police report does not mention any such claim. One of the men was found carrying a binder for a company called Brown’s Energy. However, the president of the Staten Island-based company with that name denied any affiliation with the men arrested, expressing concern about the incident and vowing to investigate how they came to possess a binder with their company name.
Despite the severity of the attack, the alleged perpetrators were released without monetary bail, according to court records. They are scheduled to appear in court again on April 16 or 17, leaving the couple in a state of fear and uncertainty. This harrowing incident serves as a reminder of the dangers that can arise from encounters with unauthorized individuals and highlights the importance of building security measures to ensure residents’ safety.
The East Village couple’s story is a chilling one, shedding light on the vulnerability that can exist within our own homes. It serves as a reminder to remain vigilant and cautious when dealing with strangers, even in the sanctity of our own living spaces. The incident also raises questions about the effectiveness of building security protocols and the need for stricter regulations to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing residential properties. As the couple continues to recover from their physical and emotional wounds, they hope that justice will be served and that their traumatic experience will serve as a catalyst for change in building security practices.
