A 73-year-old Washington Heights man tragically fell to his death from a sixth-floor window early Sunday morning while fleeing three men who had broken into his home.
Jacinto Remigio was in his apartment at 580 161 Street and Broadway when three men wearing hoodies entered his home around 5 a.m.
They tied up his 40-year-old son, Jeury Remigio, and made off with a gold chain worth $8,000 and $200 in cash.
Remigio tried to escape by climbing out of the window, but fell to his death and ended up on the construction scaffolding on the second floor.
The three robbers are still on the run. They were filmed on surveillance cameras entering the building wearing masks over their faces.
Jacinto’s son was not injured. When police arrived and questioned the son, they heard a loud noise coming from another room.
When they went to investigate, they discovered Jacinto lying on the construction scaffolding about 30 minutes after the home invasion.
The injuries Jacinto suffered were consistent with a fall from an elevated position, officials said. EMS took him to Harlem Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
It is unknown at this time if the suspects knew the victim.
The victim identified as Jacinto Remigio, 73, escaped from a window and fell to his death on scaffolding outside the building
The construction scaffolding on the side of the building and location where Jacinto was found
The shoe store that Jacinto has owned for the past few years was closed Monday
When DailyMail.com went to Jacinto’s apartment, a dog was barking, but no one answered the door and the call camera did not open.
Jacinto lived in the Washington Heights community for over forty years.
He owned a shoe store called Jacinto’s Shoes at 3866 Broadway, half a block from his apartment.
It was believed that Jacinto sold sneakers on a table on the street before opening a shop with one of his sons and his girlfriend.
The store was closed Monday morning. The metal gate was still open and cardboard boxes were visible from outside.
Many neighbors were shocked to hear the news of his sudden death.
They remembered him as a good man who often took his dog to the store.
One woman cried uncontrollably when she heard the news of his death, saying, “It hurts my soul.”
“I loved him just like my father,” she said in Spanish as she stood next to his store. “He always told me to pray for him.”
A woman cried uncontrollably when she heard the news of his death and said she ‘loved him like a father’
The restaurant, La Rubia Bar & Grill, is where Jacinto often went for coffee and a quick bite
Jacinto Remigio lived in this apartment at 580 161 St. & Broadway in Washington Heights
The apartment (photo) where the burglary took place