Bronx man, 87, pistol-whipped during robbery: 'Where’s the money?'

THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) – A brutal home invasion in the Bronx targeted an 87-year-old man, with the attackers posing as delivery workers.  

After a knock at the door, the suspects pushed 87-year-old William Cortes into his home, pistol-whipped him, and tied him to his bed. 

Cortes, who struggles to move around, never saw the ambush coming.

“They said, ‘Where’s the money?’ and then boom—they hit me with a 9-millimeter,” Cortes said.

His daughter, Willimary Cortes Lopez, said he was no match for the attackers.

“Since he’s fragile and old, he got overpowered,” the 15-year-old said.

Her father was shoved onto his bed by the two masked men.

“They put me down there, put my head like this,” Cortes recalled.

When he looked up for a moment, he said one of the attackers struck him in the head with a gun.

“He knocked me with the gun,” he said, pointing to a scar above his eye.

“They tied him with the blankets and asked him for money that didn’t exist,” his daughter said.

The attackers ransacked the apartment on Willis Avenue, repeatedly shouting, “Where’s the $50,000? Where’s the money?”

Ultimately, they left with just $40, Cortes’ EBT card, and his wallet.

The family suspects someone they know may have orchestrated the ambush. Police have released images of the suspects, but detectives have yet to make an arrest since the attack last month.

“At least he’s alive,” Cortes Lopez said. “All that matters is he’s healthy and OK.”

Cortes said he still suffers from headaches but is otherwise recovering. 

He believes the thieves may have used his stolen cards, which could provide investigators with a lead. The suspects fled in a black 2018 Honda CR-V, according to police.