BRONX, NY — In a scene ripped straight from a horror film, 34-year-old Tayquon Young became the latest victim of New York City’s spiraling street violence when a deranged stranger hacked off four of his fingers with a 30-inch machete—all because Young dared to shield his pit bull, Chanel, from the attacker’s bloodthirsty rage. The grotesque assault, captured by multiple bystanders more focused on filming than intervening, lays bare a city teetering on the edge of lawlessness.

“He Wanted to Decapitate My Dog—Then He Tried to Take My Hand”

The violence erupted Friday afternoon at Southern Boulevard and East 178th Street, where Young was walking Chanel. When the playful pit bull approached another man’s unleashed dog, the stranger—described as a “wild-eyed lunatic” by witnesses—reportedly snapped, pulling a machete from his coat and screaming, “I’ll cut your dog’s head off!” Young, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority worker, lunged to protect Chanel. What happened next? A brutal, unhinged swipe of the blade that left four fingers scattered on the pavement.

“This city’s lost its damn mind,” Young seethed from his hospital bed, his left hand now a mangled testament to the attack. “I’m trying to save my dog, and this psychopath treats me like a piece of meat. Where are the police? Where’s the justice?”

Medical “Miracle” Can’t Undo the Damage—Fourth Finger STILL Missing

Doctors managed to reattach three fingers after a grueling 13-hour surgery, but the fourth remains lost—possibly snatched by a bird, Young grimly joked. Medical experts warn that even reattached digits may never regain full function, leaving Young’s career as a maintenance worker in jeopardy. “How am I supposed to provide for my family now?” he demanded, his voice shaking with fury.

Meanwhile, the NYPD’s limp response has only fueled outrage. Surveillance images of the suspect—a middle-aged man in a tan bucket hat and military-style boots—have circulated for days, yet no arrests have been made. “They’ll shut down a bodega for selling loosies, but a maniac with a machete gets a free pass?” spat Young’s uncle, Andrew Price.

Bystanders Film Bloodshed Instead of Helping: “This Generation Is Heartless”

In a gut-punch twist, witnesses reportedly recorded the attack on their phones rather than calling 911 or rendering aid. “They stood there like it was a TikTok challenge,” Young’s mother, Kimtreese Young, raged. “My son’s fingers are lying in the gutter, and these ghouls just watched. What does that say about us?”

The family’s anguish is compounded by fears that the attacker—still at large—could strike again. “He’s out there right now, armed and unstable,” Kimtreise warned. “Will the city care after he kills someone? Or is this just another Tuesday in the Bronx?”

City’s Machete Epidemic: “Soft on Crime” Policies to Blame?

Young’s mutilation is no isolated incident. Machete attacks have surged citywide, with critics slamming New York’s revolving-door justice system for enabling repeat offenders. Just last week, a Brooklyn man with 30 prior arrests allegedly slashed a deli worker with a machete—and walked free hours later. “This is what happens when criminals face zero consequences,” fumed a retired NYPD detective. “Why bother carrying a knife when you can swing a machete and get a slap on the wrist?”

Demand Answers NOW

As Young faces a painful recovery, his family is left begging for accountability:

• Why hasn’t City Hall declared a crisis?
• Why are bystanders more obsessed with viral content than human life?
• When will politicians stop coddling violent criminals?

“If this happened in Manhattan, there’d be a task force by now,” Young’s mother scoffed. “But because we’re in the Bronx? Crickets.”

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
Contact Mayor Adams’ office DEMANDING action:
CALL: (212) 788-3000
TWEET: @NYCMayor