Sticking it to him
Victim’s wife brooms robber
That’s one way to get rid of the trash!
A mild-mannered couple became sudden superheroes in the hallway of their Bronx building when they used a broomstick to do battle with a knifewielding thug, video of the incident shows.
Xian Jian He, 52, and his wife, Nen Mei Chen, 49, had just arrived home from work at Home Garden Chinese restaurant in Morris Park at 11:30 p.m. last Thursday when the thief ambushed them, the couple said.
“I was scared,” Chen said Tuesday. “My heart was beating [fast].”
The masked crook — who had been lurking outside the complex on East 175th Street — pulled a knife and forced the couple to the end of the hallway, according to footage provided by police.
But when the bandit snatched Chen’s purse, her husband pounced on him, pushing the robber toward the building entrance.
The thief fought back, slashing Xian repeatedly with a knife.
Fearing for her husband’s life, Chen — who stands 5-foot-3 and weighs 110 pounds — grabbed a broomstick and clocked the much larger crook in the head and shoulders while the two men battled.
The thief eventually fled with the purse, making off with $1,200 in cash and an iPhone, police said.
Neighbors living in the apartment building were disturbed by the incident, which left blood splattered in the hallway.
“It was scary seeing so much blood. There was blood all over the place,” said Franchesca Mejia, 14, who lives next door to the couple.
Franchesca’s mother, Wanda Sanchez, 31, said Chen is a gutsy gal.
“She is very brave. She was protecting her husband and her herself. And she’s not a big lady,” Sanchez said.
“Thank Jesus they are OK. It could have been worse,” the neighbor added.
Xian was treated for injuries at St. Barnabas Hospital — but was back at work with a grin and an arm bandage Tuesday — with his intrepid spouse by his side.
Cops are looking for the robber, who was sporting a blue backpack and a baseball cap.