82-year-old Lower Manhattan man’s death ruled a homicide, police say

Homicide Investigation Launched After 82-Year-Old Lower Manhattan Man's Fatal Assault

A shocking turn of events unfolded in the West Village last fall when an 82-year-old man was brutally assaulted and left for dead on the sidewalk. Dean Conover Whetzel, a lifelong resident of Lower Manhattan, suffered severe injuries after being pushed to the ground outside a local café on Hudson Street.

Responding officers found Whetzel unconscious with a swollen right eye and laceration to the back of his head. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition, where he remained for several weeks before succumbing to his injuries on November 5th.

The NYPD has since arrested and charged 79-year-old Dana Escoffier with assault and a weapons offense in connection with Whetzel's death. According to officials, the two men were complete strangers who lived just around the corner from each other near the intersection where the alleged assault occurred.

Prosecutors claim that Escoffier pushed Whetzel because the older man had bumped into him, but a witness later identified him to police after following Escoffier. The NYPD is still investigating the incident, and Escoffier's lawyer has yet to comment on the charges.

The tragic incident marks one of several high-profile cases in the Sixth Precinct this year, which has seen two homicides reported through November 30 - a stark contrast to the same period last year, when no homicides were recorded. As the investigation continues, officials have vowed to provide updates on Escoffier's case in court.

In a sobering reminder of the violence that can strike even the most unlikely corners of our city, Whetzel's family and loved ones are left to grapple with the loss of their cherished relative, whose life was brutally cut short in an instant.

Man, 82 is way too young to be taken from us like this . You'd think that as people get older they become wiser and more gentle, but I guess you never really know what's gonna happen behind closed doors. I mean, who pushes someone down just 'cause they bumped into ya? That's just crazy talk. The fact that it happened in a neighborhood like Lower Manhattan where everyone's supposed to get along is just the icing on the cake... or should I say, the knife in the back . Anyway, my heart goes out to Dean Whetzel's family and loved ones - they're gonna miss him big time .

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one... 82 years old is old, but that doesn't make him invincible. It's just heartbreaking that someone would do something so senseless and cruel. The fact that they lived just a block away from each other makes it even more shocking. What was going through Dana Escoffier's mind that led him to commit such a heinous act? My heart goes out to Dean Whetzel's family and loved ones, may they find some peace in the coming days

Can you believe this? An 82-year-old grandpa gets pushed to the ground by some crazy dude who had a run-in over bumping into each other and now his family has to deal with the aftermath . I mean, what's next? Is it gonna be "Oh no, I accidentally bumped into you" as an excuse for murder? And another thing, if you're gonna assault someone, at least have the decency to get a new pair of walking shoes so you don't leave a trail of evidence behind . The NYPD is doing its job, but let's be real, 79 years old and still living in Lower Manhattan is just crazy .

Man this is so sad 82 years old and just beaten to a pulp by some stranger who probably didn't even know him lol. What's wrong with people these days? No respect for elders or anything... they just wanna hurt anyone that gets in their way. It's crazy how fast it escalated too, from a little bump into each other to someone getting pushed down and almost killed . I'm sure Dean Whetzel's family is still dealing with the trauma of losing him, rest in peace

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one . 79 years old is ancient , I mean, what's going on here? Is this some kind of sick twisted joke? A guy gets pushed by a stranger and almost dies, then the other dude gets charged with assault... I don't get it. Where's the motive? Was there any witnesses who saw anything else go down? Did they check for surveillance footage? I need more info before I can even begin to wrap my head around this case. Can we get an update on the investigation ASAP?

Ugh, this is just so sad . I mean, who does something like that to someone they don't even know? 79-year-old Dana Escoffier pushing an 82-year-old man just because he bumped into him? That's some crazy stuff . And on a sidewalk in the West Village too! What was Escoffier thinking?

Anyway, I'm glad the police were able to catch him and charge him with assault and a weapons offense. At least justice will be served, right? But what about Whetzel's family? They're going through this trauma and grief after losing their loved one in such a senseless way. It's just heartbreaking .

I'm not surprised the NYPD is investigating other high-profile cases in the Sixth Precinct, though. With two homicides already reported this year, it sounds like they have their hands full . Fingers crossed Escoffier gets what's coming to him and the police can bring some closure to Whetzel's family soon .

Ugh, this is just so sad . I mean, what's wrong with people these days? An 82-year-old man gets pushed on the sidewalk and almost dies... it's just crazy . And to think he didn't even know the guy who did it - they lived right next door! It's like, can't we all just get along?

And don't even get me started on the "bumped into him" excuse... come on, that sounds like something a bad comedian would make up . I mean, if you're going to do something like that, at least have the decency to apologize and not try to cover it up.

Anyway, my heart goes out to Whetzel's family - this is just a terrible way for anyone to go . And 79 years old, pushing an 82-year-old man... what's wrong with people, seriously?

Ugh I'm literally still shaking thinking about this poor guy Dean Conover Whetzel sounds like such a sweet soul, I mean who pushes 82-year-old dude to ground just 'cause he bumped into them? And can you even imagine being on the scene of that incident? The NYPD better get Escoffier for life . My heart goes out to Whetzel's family, it's just so senseless . I was just reading about this news and I'm still feeling all the emotions... I wish they'd release more info on Escoffier's background tho, I feel like that might be some kinda motive

I cant believe how expensive avocado toast is getting I mean, 15 bucks for a slice? that's like, highway robbery anyway, speaking of weird things, have you ever noticed how some apps can be super glitchy on your phone? like, I was trying to order food online the other day and it kept freezing on me what's up with that?

this is just so senseless I mean 82 years old man gets pushed down on the sidewalk no warning no nothing just a sudden violent act that leaves him bleeding and broken weeks later he's gone it's heartbreaking to think about the family and loved ones who have to deal with this kind of trauma and loss

we should be living in a world where our seniors can walk down the street without fear of being attacked or hurt by some stranger Dana Escoffier is the name but i feel like he was just a symptom of something bigger a lack of empathy and humanity in our society we need to do better than this

omg, this is so unfair dean whetzel sounds like such a nice guy... i mean, who pushes an 82-yr-old man because he bumped into him? that's just cold and it's not like they were even from different worlds or anything. the fact that the witness came forward to help identify escoffier is really admirable but still, it's just so sad about dean... his family must be going through hell i hope justice is served and escoffier gets a fair trial

THIS IS JUST GETTING RIDICULOUS!!! 82 YEARS OLD MAN, PUSHED TO THE GROUND AND LEFT FOR DEAD ON THE Sidewalk, WHO DOES THAT?!?! IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE EVEN STRANGERS ANYMORE, LIVING NEXT DOOR TO EACH OTHER! WHAT WAS DANA ESCOFFIER THINKING?!?! AND THE NYPD IS STILL INVESTIGATING AND WAITING FOR HIS LAWYER TO MAKE A MOVE... GRRR

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one , like, an 82-year-old man gets pushed to the ground by a stranger just because they bumped into each other? That's just insane! I hope Dana Escoffier is locked up for life, but at the same time, it's making me think about our city and how we can prevent these kinds of incidents from happening again . We need to look out for each other, you know? A little kindness and empathy can go a long way . My heart goes out to Dean Whetzel's family, that's just devastating .

OMG this is just heartbreaking!!! I'm sending all my love and positive vibes to Dean's fam it's crazy that something like this can happen to anyone, especially to someone as sweet as him 79 vs 82, age shouldn't matter when it comes to kindness & respect but I guess you never know what people are going through behind closed doors Dana Escoffier needs lots of help & support for his own well-being right now

Ugh, it's just so crazy what happened to that poor guy ! I mean, 82 years old, living right next door to this scumbag... you'd think he'd have better luck with people. And now his family is left to deal with all this trauma... it's just awful . Back in my day, we didn't see that kind of violence on the streets like we do nowadays... I know there's always been crime, but it feels like things are getting worse . Anyway, hope they catch this guy and make sure he pays for what he did .

Man oh man, this is just heartbreaking . I mean, 82 years old, what a age, and still getting pushed around like that? It's crazy how senseless violence can be, especially from someone who looks like they're not even capable of causing harm. And the fact that it happened in plain sight, near his own home, is just terrifying . I hope Dana Escoffier gets what's coming to him, but at the same time, you gotta feel bad for Whetzel's family and friends who are gonna have to live with this loss forever . The NYPD needs to get to the bottom of this and make sure justice is served, no matter how long it takes .

OMG, this is so sad ! I mean, 82 years old is ancient, you know? And for what? Some random shove that just happened out of nowhere ... it's crazy. You'd think with all the cool shows like 'Breaking Bad' and movies where people are always getting into these intense confrontations, we'd be prepared for situations like this. But nope, it's real life that's got us all shook up . I feel bad for Whetzel's family - they're just going through so much grief right now . And poor Dana Escoffier... 79 years old, too! You'd think people would mellow out a bit with age . Anyway, fingers crossed the justice system gets to work and we get some closure on this one .

I think Dana Escoffier is totally innocent , like someone's just trying to make a name for themselves by being "incapable" of defending himself against some 82-year-old old dude who bump into him on the sidewalk . And what really gets me is that everyone's so quick to assume he must've been pushed because... well, why wouldn't you do that? You just push an old guy around and then you're like "Oh I'm a bad person now" . The police are probably gonna get him with some shady evidence too , it's all just a big case of being a scapegoat for something way more complicated than we'll ever know .

this is so sad I cant believe someone would do such a thing to a nice old man like dean whetzel just because he bumped into him I mean what's wrong with people nowadays no respect for their elders or seniors at all it's just terrible that he had to go through that and now his family has to live without him