What did Ariel Nunez do? Man accused of fatally punching stranger on NYC sidewalk arrested
Ariel Nunez, a man in his 40s from Middletown, New York, has been accused of the murder of 63-year-old Charles Cunningham. The latter was found lying unconscious at the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 105th Street in East Harlem, by the New York Police Department on April 20, 2023.
Disclaimer: This article contains descriptions of physical violence. Readers' discretion is advised.
Upon being found, the victim was rushed to Mount Sinai Morningside, a local hospital, where he breathed his last the following day. Initially, his death was considered an accident.
However, upon further investigation, police were able to recover surveillance footage of the area that showed Cunningham bumping into an unidentified stranger. The stranger immediately turned around and punched the victim twice on the head, which led to latter's fatal fall. Police now claim to have identified the stranger in the surveillance footage as Ariel Nunez.
He was arrested in East Harlem on Wednesday, June 14, 2023.
Ariel Nunez has been accused of murder, reckless endangerment and assault
The New York Police Department has alleged that the surveillance footage recovered by them shows Ariel Nunez sucker punching Charles Cunningham. As a result, the victim violently fell to the ground, which resulted in his head crashing on the concrete sidewalk.
The 63-year-old lay on the sidewalk for about 10 minutes before he was discovered by authorities. The medical examiner who examined his body claimed that the fall and resultant blow to the head fractured the back of his skull. The man also suffered internal bleeding.
The motive for the crime remains unclear at the moment. Police have speculated that Nunez may have punched Cunningham impulsively, in a moment of anger and outrage. They further noted that it is still unknown why the accused, who is originally from Middletown, was present in Manhattan on the day of the alleged murder.
Upon his arrest, Ariel Nunez was taken into custody, followed by his arraignment on Friday, June 16, 2023. He has been accused of murder, reckless endangerment and assault. Presently, he has been granted supervised release.
Neighbors of Ariel Nunez’s alleged victim were shocked to discover the latter’s death
Charles Cunningham lived near West 112th Street, and was generally well-liked by his neighbors. Reports have stated that those around him describe him along with his brothers as good people.
While speaking to NBC New York regarding the incident, Gwinette Thomas, a neighbor of the victim, said that he and his family led a quiet life:
"Wow, they were quiet brothers. They never bothered nobody, but like I said, that stayed to they self."Thomas also expressed her exasperation about the incident:
“You can’t even walk the street right now without bumping someone and someone getting an attitude…it’s crowded, this is New York City, you took a person’s life, you took his life, now he has nothing.”Cunningham is survived by his son, his twin brothers, and his former wife.
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