A passenger in a Brooklyn livery cab lost his life following a confrontation with two thieves from Coney Island who snatched his gold chain, according to the authorities.
Michael Shelonchik, 53, exited the livery near a bank at W. Fifth St. and Neptune Ave. around 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday. According to a police source, he had visited the location to purchase drugs.
Once the criminals managed to snatch Shelonchik’s chain, the victim swiftly returned to the livery and immediately reported the robbery. He requested to be driven back to his residence in Bergen Beach.
The driver managed to travel approximately a mile to E. Third St. and Avenue Y in Gravesend when Shelonchik experienced what seemed to be a medical episode, causing difficulty in breathing, according to the police.
The medics quickly transported him to Maimonides Medical Center, but despite their efforts, he could not be revived.
According to the initial reports, Shelonchik was assaulted by the criminals inside an Uber. However, the latest update from the police suggests that he was actually robbed outside of a livery cab. It remains uncertain whether he was also subjected to physical violence during the incident.
The authorities discovered pills and an empty pill bottle in his possession, leading doctors to suspect a possible overdose as the cause of Shelonchik’s death. To ascertain the exact cause, the city Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy. Currently, the robbers responsible for the incident remain at large.
Lexi Shelonchik, the daughter of the victim, expressed that her father, who had recently celebrated his 53rd birthday, possessed a truly giving nature.
“He was always there to lend a helping hand,” she recalled. “Our neighbors often approached him for financial assistance, and he never turned them away. He had a heart of gold and never refused anyone in need.”
According to Lexi, her father often meets up with a friend in Coney Island and relies on taxi services since he doesn’t drive.
She expressed her concern about the jewelry that was stolen from her father during the robbery, stating, “It was a chain and a Star of David, and we’re questioning whether it was motivated by anti-Semitism.”
The manager of a nearby grocery store, located close to the bank where the chain-snatching incident occurred, revealed that the police had instructed her to close the store early in light of the ongoing investigation.
“It’s sad,” said the manager, who preferred to remain anonymous. “Although not much usually happens in this area, incidents like this can happen anywhere.”
A man working nearby expressed astonishment at the occurrence of the robbery in such a lively neighborhood.
“I saw it on the news and I was shocked. It’s busy over here — you have supermarkets, banks, a lot of traffic,” the man said, declining to give his name.
“It’s crazy, New York City is crazy,” he said. “I was sad to hear about that.”
Shelonchik, the clothing wholesaler, is also survived by his wife of over 30 years and his older daughter, Taylor, aged 27.
“He was the best dad in the whole world to two daughters,” Lexi said. “He was very kind. He was very loving.
“He was so authentic,” she added. “He was born and raised in New York. First generation. [He grew up] in Kings Highway and all around the Mill Basin area.”
