A Manhattan man has been arrested for allegedly attacking the 90-year-old owner of Ray’s Candy Store in the East Village, officials said.

Luis Peroza, a 39-year-old East Village resident, was arrested and charged with assault on Friday in connection to the attack, according to the NYPD.


What You Need To Know

  • Luis Peroza, a 39-year-old East Village resident, has been arrested for allegedly attacking Ray Alvarez, the 90-year-old owner of Ray’s Candy Store in the East Village

  • Peroza was arrested and charged with assault on Friday

  • Alvarez was attacked early Tuesday morning at around 3 a.m. outside the candy store

Peroza was arraigned Sunday. A judge set his bail at $200,000 cash and scheduled his next court date for Thursday.

Police say that Peroza approached Ray Alvarez outside his Avenue A business on Tuesday at around 3 a.m. Peroza had a package and asked Alvarez if he wanted to buy it.

Peroza then asked another man to hold the package, and told Alvarez that he would kill him before striking him in the head with a belt that appeared to have a rock attached to it, police said.

After the attack, Peroza fled south on Avenue A, and Alvarez was left with a bloodied face, according to police.

In a phone call with NY1 on Thursday, Alvarez said he was not feeling well after the attack.

“I’m kind of black and blue,” Alvarez said. “I’m not really in a mood for anything. I just want to lay down."

Alvarez has been the owner of Ray’s Candy Store since 1974. He regularly works 20-hour shifts behind the counter.

Community members last year rallied together and crowdsourced tens of thousands of dollars to save the business after Alvarez said he was considering shutting the store down.