A Bronx man who was brutally assaulted in 2022 is frustrated with the legal system for giving his attacker a mere three-and-a-half to seven years in jail.
The victim, 54-year-old Jesus Cortes Cabrera, told the New York Post that he nearly died as a result of the incident and was hoping the assailant would stay locked up forever, the outlet reported Saturday:
NYC dance teacher who was left in coma by sex offender’s sucker-punch slams light sentence: ‘He destroyed my life’ https://t.co/bEpXziCfm0 pic.twitter.com/DbMIKIxb04
— New York Post (@nypost) June 29, 2024
Cortes Cabrera was left in a coma and spent three weeks in the hospital after 56-year-old Van Phu Bui sucker punched him while they stood outside the Fuego Tipico Restaurant in Fordham Manor in August 2022.
Cortes Cabrera said, “When I saw the video … when I saw his face … He’s a bad guy — totally 100 percent.”
When police identified Van Phu Bui, officials charged him with attempted murder, per Breitbart News.
Cortes Cabrera suffered a fractured skull, broken cheekbone, and brain bleeding as a result of the assault.
Fox 5 noted at the time of the incident in 2022 that New York City Police Department (NYPD) data showed that felony assaults were up by 23 percent in the Bronx compared to that time in 2021.
The Post article continued:
Police initially charged Bui with attempted murder, but the District Attorney’s office claimed there wasn’t enough evidence to support the charges, and reduced them to non-bail-eligible misdemeanors, allowing Bui to walk free after his arrest.
The move sparked outrage, and as criticism mounted Gov. Hochul intervened, ordering the parolee be put back behind bars.
Bui later argued that he should not be detained because the victim survived, claiming that he did not want to hurt him that bad and only hit him one time. In addition, the Post noted that Bui is a convicted sex offender.
Since the attack, Cortes Cabrera has endured many health challenges and had to relearn to walk. However, he has since returned to teaching Mexican dance to children who attend his church, an activity he deeply enjoys.
He said, “I feel well, because of the program at the church with the kids, they help me a lot. They prayed for me. They supported me. I’m happy God gave me another opportunity to live and continue my work with the kids. Something can happen today, but I’m living in the present.”
Social media users shared their thoughts regarding the case, one person writing, “NY voted for this. You have done it to yourselves.”
“NYC protects the criminals not the victims,” another user commented.
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