Suspect charged with dropkicking woman carrying baby in the Bronx speaks out

BRONX, N.Y. -- Police have arrested the man they say brutally kicked and robbed a woman in the Bronx, an incident that was caught on surveillance video.

The suspect, 18-year old Alonzo Brown, spoke with Eyewitness News following the arrest Tuesday.

"I'm sorry," said Brown. ("Who are you saying that to, the lady?", we asked.)

"The lady and the baby, I didn't know it was the baby that was there," he said.

("You didn't see the baby?") "I didn't see the baby," he said.

("When did you find out there was a baby?") "When she hit the floor," he said.

Brown is facing multiple charges, including robbery, attempted robbery, assault, and act in a manner injurious to a child.

He is charged with running up behind Odila Orozco and drop kicking the 24-year old, who fell to the ground.

Brown has 11 prior arrests, five of which are sealed.

The incident happened just before 1 p.m. last Friday in front of 1155 East Tremont Ave.

The video is clear, so police quickly identified Brown as the suspect lurking in front of the bodega.

The video shows the suspect watching as the victim walks by with her baby. The man turns to follow her, then breaks into a run and drop kicks her to the ground on top of the baby.

The suspect then grabbed her cell phone and ran away.

Detectives caught up with Brown around 9:30 Tuesday morning at his uncle's house in the Bronx.

As he was led out of the 48th precinct, he told me he regretted what he did, that he didn't realize Odila was carrying her 2 month old son at the time.

The infant was strapped to her chest in a carrier.

The apology was not accepted. Odila called Brown a criminal who has to pay for what he did.

"He shouldn't be apologizing, he clearly saw the moment when she was walking in front of him with her baby, so he shouldn't be apologizing," said a translator for Orozco.

"She felt a kick, a very strong kick on her back. She was falling down and she said she tried to protect that baby as she was falling down," the translator added. "Also she indicated that if the baby had died, would he be apologizing right now to her if her child was dead? Even if he's arrested, he shouldn't be apologizing. He needs to pay for what he did."

"He doesn't have a heart," Odila earlier told Eyewitness News. "Hitting someone, especially a baby? A person like that shouldn't be on the on the street."

She wouldn't show her face, but she said her son, Jordy, is safe despite her landing on top of him. He was snuggled into a sling when the kick came out of nowhere.

The woman and child were transported to Jacobi Hospital and treated and released.