Convict Who Sucker Punched Random Man In The Bronx Freed On Reduced Charges

A 55-year-old man who sucker punched a random man who ended up in a coma has been freed from jail without bail. Worse, the charges he was facing were reduced per reports.

The man, a convicted sex offender, was identified as Bui Van Phu. After being initially charged with attempted murder, the charges against the 55-year-old were reduced at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office to assault with harassment.

The new misdemeanor was linked to the unprovoked attacks he did on 52-year-old Jesus Cortes, knocking the man unconscious on the street according to a criminal complaint.

Cortes required brain surgery as a result of the attack and is now in a medically induced coma, the Post reported.

It would be best to note that the new charges that Phu is facing are not bail-eligible. A Bronx judge released him on a supervised release following an arraignment on Thursday according to a spokesperson from the DA office.

It was on Wednesday when Phu was arrested for the unprovoked attack.

“The police charged him with Attempted Murder and when we got the case we evaluated and charged based on evidence we had,” a DA’s Office spokesperson said. “The investigation is continuing.”

Further, the 55-year-old confessed the crime to his parole officer. Phu is a convicted sex offender.

Phu was convicted of first-degree sex abuse in The Bronx in 1995 and was sentenced to six years to life in prison, according to state records.

“I hit someone and he’s in the hospital. I don’t know if he’s dead,” he told the officer, according to the complaint. “The police are looking for me.”

Both Phu and Cortes do not know each other. Also, there was no apparent interaction between them before the sucker punch was done.

It was on Aug. 12 when Cortes was leaving the Fuego Tipico Restaurant on East 188th Street near the Grand Concourse in Fordham Manor around 10:45 p.m. For some reason, Phu put on his work gloves and slugged Cortes from behind, resulting in the 52-year-old hitting his head on the sidewalk.