- Stuhlbarg, 55, was approached seemingly at random by a homeless man in the Upper East Side on Sunday Night, the NYPD told DailyMail.com
- The actor was walking close to East 90th and East Drive around 7:45pm when Xavier Israel , 27, struck him in the back of his neck with a rock
- Israel is homeless and has previously been arrested for two assaults and a robbery in January 2022, cops confirmed
Boardwalk Empire star Michael Stuhlbarg has been attacked by a rock-wielding homeless man near New York City’s Central Park.
Stuhlbarg, 55, was approached seemingly at random by the attacker in the upscale Upper East Side neighborhood on Sunday evening, cops told DailyMail.com.
He was walking close to East 90th and East Drive around 7:45pm when Xavier Israel, 27, threw a rock at his head, striking him in the back of the neck.
Stuhlbarg suffered ‘minor injuries’ and he chased Israel down to the Russian consulate at East 91st Street, where cops stationed outside apprehended him.
The actor was offered medical attention at the scene, but he refused treatment, the NYPD said. Israel, who is homeless, was taken into custody and charged with assault.
He has previously been arrested for two violent assaults and a robbery in January 2022, cops confirmed.
In one incident that month, he knocked a 59-year-old Good Samaritan to the ground and mugged him after the man tried to offer him a coat amid freezing temperatures.
Israel was also arrested for attacking another person who offered him help – this time a 49-year-old woman – and for allegedly beating up two 18-year-olds in Central Park.
The attacks all unfolded within the month of January 2022 and Israel does not have any further criminal record before or after this month, cops told DailyMail.com.
The first incident, where Israel attacked the man who offered him a coat, was caught on surveillance footage.
Video shows the victim as he tried to help Israel, who had been lying on the sidewalk at 476 5th Avenue around 8pm on a particularly cold evening.
The victim gently places a jacket he was wearing on Israel before the homeless man springs up and pushes him into the ground.
Israel took the man’s wallet from his back pants pocket while he was on the ground before fleeing the scene.
The victim attempts to get his wallet back before Israel punches him and throws him back to the ground.
When Israel was arrested shortly afterwards on West 41st Street and 5th Avenue, officers found almost $1,500 in cash stuffed in his pants.
Israel’s latest victim, Stuhlbarg rose to fame playing troubled university professor Larry Gopnik in the 2009 dark comedy A Serious Man.
The California-born actor has since portrayed George Yeaman in Lincoln, Lew Wasserman in Hitchcock, and Andy Hertzfeld in Steve Jobs.
He is perhaps best-known for playing Arnold Rothstein in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.
Stuhlbarg has been recognized with several awards including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, along with nominations for two Primetime Emmys, a Tony Award and a Golden Globe.
Laura Davis is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Broadway, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
