A stranger punched a Queens parkgoer unconscious during a spat over a child throwing a water balloon this week, police sources said.
The suspected attacker flew into a rage about a kid chucking the balloon inside Lawrence J. Virgilio Playground at 54th Street and 39 Drive in Sunnyside Gardens around 7:20 p.m. Sunday, the sources said.
He then slugged a 56-year-old man in the face, causing him to fall to the ground and black out, cops said.
The victim – whose connection to the balloon-hurling kid is not immediately known – was taken to the Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he is listed in stable condition.
The assailant – who himself appears to be accompanied by a child in images released by the NYPD late Tuesday – took off and had not been caught by Wednesday.
Anyone with information on the attack or the suspect is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.