31-year-old repeat criminal assaults toddler riding in a toy wagon

 A 31-year-old man with a history of assaulting children was arrested and charged after flipping a toddler out of a wagon in New York City.

Early Friday morning, Christopher Elder, the assailant, accosted a woman pushing her toddler granddaughter in a toy wagon as she was throwing away garbage.

The assault took place in Flushing, Queens, the New York Post reported.

The assault occurred around 6:20 a.m. when Elder began shouting at the 48-year-old grandmother who does not speak English.

Elder allegedly grabbed and shook the toy wagon containing the toddler with both of his hands before kicking it into the street, causing the 3-year-old granddaughter to fall to the pavement.

The child suffered an abrasion to her head and a cut under her left eye. She was taken to Flushing Hospital Medical Center where she received several stitches.

The child’s uncle said that the toddler is afraid to return to her family’s home.

He said, “Now she’s very scared. She didn’t want to come home yesterday.”

Elder was arrested after the assault at an intersection near the family’s house and was taken to Elmhurst Hospital for a medical evaluation.

Elder was charged with assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and harassment. He was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court and was sent to jail without bail until his next court date on March 28. 

Elder’s uncle, Tyrick, said that Elder was in Flushing visiting family.

It just so happens that Elder’s visit resulted in a criminal complaint being made, and his previous interactions with Tyrick led to his uncle taking out an order of protection against him.

Elder is a repeat criminal who has at least eight prior arrests.

Many of his previous arrests were due to unprovoked assaults.

In mid-December 2021, Elder was arrested for assaulting a 9-year-old girl by throwing her to the ground.

In late February, Elder hit a 30-year-old man in the head with a glass bottle for which he was also charged following his arrest this past Friday.

Similarly, in late February, a 4-year-old boy was assaulted in Times Square when a man struck him on the head.

Violent crime is rampant in New York City — especially throughout the city’s massive transit system — and shows no sign of slowing down despite city officials vowing to curb it.

Scott Welsh — a recent NYPD retiree — said that the city has “turned against” the police. He said that people would rather hurl insults at the police and accuse them of being racist — without justification — than support them in their efforts to keep crime off the streets of New York.

Welsh said, “While Mayor Adams can do his part to back the NYPD, unless we can get our communities on board, we will never be able to restore public safety.”