Bronx 4-Year-Old Boy Shot in Robbery of Dad's coat.

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A 4-year-old was shot in the chest during an apparent robbery over a coat in the Bronx on Tuesday night. Cincere Balthazar remains in critical condition. It happened at around 10:30 p.m. at Evelyn Place and Grand Avenue in the Fordham section of the borough. The boy was with his father when three crooks pulled a gun and tried to rob the man of his coat. The suspect, Mauricio Acosta, 17, told police he wanted the man’s red leather jacket because it resembled one recently stolen from him, according to police sources. One of the robbers fired, hitting the boy. The thugs dropped the gun and ran. The father picked up the gun and chased the teens. He hit one of them in the head. Both victims were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital. The 17-year-old gunshot victim is listed in critical condition. Balthazar was moved to Columbia-Presbyterian hospital, and also remained listed in critical condition.

Bronx boy battles for life after robbery, shooting outside homeless shelter 

Two suspects in custody, one remains at-large; police sources say kid's dad shot fleeing suspect

  WITH HIS wounded son bleeding on the sidewalk, a Bronx father wrestled a handgun from a would-be mugger and shot the fleeing thug in the back of the head, police sources said. Bobby Baltazar opened fire after three robbers — including one armed with a .357 handgun — tried to steal his designer jacket as he walked home with 4-year-old Cincer from a trip to get ice cream. The little boy was blasted in the face late Tuesday when the gun went off during Baltazar’s scuffle with the teen bandit on a dark Bronx street. As Cincer’s mom ran out of the shelter where the family lives and stood screaming for help over her critically injured child, Baltazar chased down Jose Marte, 17, and shot him once from behind, the source said.
 The wounded suspect ducked under a parked car until police arrested him. Blood was still visible Wednesday beneath the red 2001 Chevy Impala. No charges were filed against Baltazar, who was questioned by police after coming to St. Barnabas Hospital to check on his wounded son. The weapon used in the botched street robbery was recovered at the home of Baltazar’s mother. The dad was paroled barely two months ago after doing time on a drug sale rap, police said. Cincer was later transferred to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, where his aunt said the boy was recovering from the bullet to his face. “He’s doing okay,” said Lydia Gonzalez. “He’s responding more. The only thing we can do now is wait.” Marte was in stable condition at St. Barnabas. Sources said charges against Marte were pending.
 One of his cohorts, Mauricio Acosta, 17, was later collared and charged with attempted robbery, assault and criminal possession of a weapon. The other suspect remained on the run, police said. The would-be robbers approached the father and son at Grand Ave. and Evelyn Place in University Heights about 10:15 p.m., cops and neighbors said. They demanded Baltazar surrender his pricey Pelle Pelle jacket before the father tried to strip the teen mugger of his weapon — only to hear the blast of a gunshot. “Keep breathing, baby! Keep breathing!” cried the boy’s desperate mother as neighbors — brought to their windows by the gunshots — watched in horror.
 “I looked down and I see the little boy laying there on the ground, and his mother’s over him and his eyes were open,” said one neighbor. “Then his eyes closed, and I thought he was dead right there.” The bleeding boy’s mother finally lifted him off the ground, and a Good Samaritan drove her to an nearby FDNY-EMS house. “He was on the floor, and I was trying to call an ambulance, and she took the baby and ran,” recounted witness Seremela Peters.