Sameh Bules during better times.
By Carol Tannenhauser
Sameh (pronounced Sammy) Bules, a vendor whose food cart has been a fixture on Central Park West and 86th Street for nearly four years, was stabbed in front of his cart on January 3rd at about 2:20 pm, by 17-year-old Angel Santos, said NYPD Sergeant Lee Jones. Bules suffered a punctured kidney, but was released from St. Luke’s Hospital that same night. After the stabbing, Santos fled into the subway, but not before his image was captured by video cameras located at 257 CPW, according to police. Santos turned himself in this past Friday night and was arrested and charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon, police say.
According to Sergeant Jones, “…[Bules] was outside sweeping the area, when [Santos] came toward him and stuck him with some kind of object in his back…[Bules] said he had no prior interaction or altercation with him, but we looked at video and saw that there was some sort of verbal dispute, some exchange of words. The victim hit the guy with a broom and then he was stabbed.”
WSR spoke to Bules, who was feeling poorly on Tuesday night, by phone, through his wife. She explained that her husband had had trouble with Santos, a high school student, in the past: “Santos took chips without paying and Sam tried to tell him it wasn’t right,” she said. This time, Santos took no chips, but, instead, spit in Bules’ face, she said. That’s when the broom swung and the knife plunged.
An attorney for Santos did not respond to a request for comment on the charges. Santos was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court in March.
John Gately, building superintendent at 257 CPW was there when the stabbing took place. He said Bules didn’t realize at first that he’d been stabbed. “We went back into the cart and he said, ‘I’ve got a sharp pain in my side.’ He picked up his shirt and there was blood pouring out of the hole. I argued with him for 10 to 15 minutes, because he didn’t want to call the police or an ambulance. Finally, the Central Park police called the 20th precinct and an ambulance. They arrived and put him in the back. He called his cousin to come watch the cart.”
The scaffolding was constructed to allow Bules to stay in his spot. His absence is evident.
The cart is his livelihood. Gately, who is a good friend of Bules, described the vendor’s routine: “He’d leave his house on Staten Island at 1 a.m. to go to downtown Manhattan to pick up his cart at the garage. Then he’d go to the bakery to pick up his donuts, his food, his milk. He gets here about 3:30 am, sets everything up in time for the morning rush, stays here till 4:30 – 5 o’clock in the afternoon, starts unpacking, goes back downtown and brings his cart to the garage, and goes back to Staten Island – five days a week, Monday through Friday! Whatever money he makes here is what he makes. I think he’s more upset because he can’t make a living right now. He has a house and a family. If he’s out of work for a month or two that will be a real burden for him.”
UPDATE: John Gately and another friend have started a Gofundme page for Bules, who has two children.
It has already left a real hole in the neighborhood. “A lot of people really love this guy,” Gately said. “They don’t know where he is and when I tell them, they’re in shock.” Bules’ wife said many people from the neighborhood have called him.
The woman who brought this story to our attention asked to be identified as “simply a customer who enjoys the brief time I spend every Monday through Friday buying coffee from Sameh (it’s nice to feel like a ‘regular’ in anonymous NYC; he remembers everyone’s order). Sameh has always impressed me. He treats all his customers with respect and brings joy and pride to his work. I’m really distressed he was brutalized.”
please have 17 year old Angel Santos tried as an adult. Please. This Angel is the Devil.
Just another day in the Rotten Apple
Is there a way for people to contribute money to help ease the burden while he is out of work?
the rag article has a link associated with
donations. If you read the link it is mid stream to the article. If you click on it
it gives you options as to how much to would
like to donate.
You can set up a GoFundMe campaign in his name.
https://funds.gofundme.com
We will check and let people know if there is. WSR
“Santos was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court in March.”
He stubbed a person and is released?!
In America we like to have the trial before punishment is administered. Here the judge and maybe the prosecutor as well calculated he was a good risk to return for trial so no bail was required, and being held without bail is not done for this kind of crime.
Bishoy
He’s a lovely man and a community fixture. I hope that if there is any kind of fund to help him and his family get back on their feet, you will post it!
If there’s a fund, we’ll post about it. WSR
What senseless violence. I hope Sameh is back on his feet, serving the community and earning a living soon.
I’m no lawyer, but from my understanding , , , words were exchanged, as a result from a previous incident; Bules assaulted Santos with a Broom stick; Santos defends himself by stabbing him with a knife.
All of this could have been prevented, if Bules had called the police upon recognizing him as a previous thief and not trying to reason with this menace to society.
You heard it here first , , , the kid gets off, as he was defending himself.
I don’t think self defense is a valid defense if one is able to escape the situation. And I think it would be herd to argue that escalation from being hit with a broom to a stabbing is self defense. Maybe hitting him back, but not stabbing.
Of course I am not a lawyer, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
My guess is that Sammy won’t be interested in pursuing this too far. An order of protection—to keep the kid from using that 86th Street station again. I hope he’s well.
“Santos was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court in March”……surprised no comments about this…but then again this is the UWS
Maryjane, earlier Jen wrote:
January 12, 2017 at 2:04 am
“Santos was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court in March.”
He stubbed a person and is released?!
try harder to pin that “surprised no comments about this…but then again this is the UWS”.
Nice try though.
I don’t understand how this kid can be released on his own recognizance. He’s a murderer, just lousy at it. He needs to be put away before he actually achieves success. Wishing a speedy recovery for Sameh Bules.
I’m no lawyer but I’m pretty sure a murder must be committed before someone is charged with murder.
You’re right Mark, but this kid antagonized, stole from, and now stabbed someone in our community. The point is that he has been released. Are you really comfortable that he able to freely walk around our neighborhood while he awaits trial?
I don’t know all the facts.
I’m guessing that this article on WSR isn’t a comprehensive report as you would find in a police report.
@Mark, true again, but this is a blog with a comments section after all, so it’s fair to comment on the information at hand. Otherwise, what’s the point of having a comments section in the first place? I don’t think anyone is taking exception to Santos’ right to a fair trial. But I think the outrage about letting him go free after harassing and stabbing Bules is justified. At least until more information comes out.
it’s possible to both have sympathy and support for the victim — Sameh — and also acknowledge that we don’t know the full circumstances and facts, especially regarding the accused.
it seems that those people who want to lock the kid up and throw away the key are making a political statement, not one that has anything to do with the actual case.
each incident of crime and/or violence should not be politicized, but rather treated on their merits with sympathy and support for the victim(s). What SHOULD BE politicized is the absolutely superb overall record of the NYPD under Mayor De Blasio in continuing to bring crime down, to its lowest levels ever.
Not defending the peretrator. Just defending his right to a fair trial. And “alleged” has a very specific meaning, so it most definitely applies, even if this kid is almost certainly guilty he has yet to be convicted.
You’ll see above that I do not believe this could be justified as self-defense. Can’t one be sympathetic toward the victim AND ALSO advocate for justice instead of knee-jerk reactions?
Based on what I have read here this seems like an open and shut case and this guy is a horrible human being who deserves to be put behind bars, but I also believe he has the right to a fair trial. That is what our country is built on.
UWS lifer – since you know all of the details and have interviewed all parties, please share what you know.
That way we can all make more informed opinions.
This is just amazing to me actually…these two guys, Mark and Nathan, would rather defend a violent and dangerous criminal in our neighborhood than a hard working man who is just trying to earn an honest living.
I’ll never get it. Sorry.
And by the way, he was positively ID’ed so there is no issue there so give up the “alleged” nonsense.
Allegedly. He hasn’t been convicted yet.
Can someone please start a go fund me account for him–maybe ask Mr Gately to do it so we know it is going to go to the right person?
John Gately and another friend have started a Gofundme page for Bules, who has two children.
I’m sure this is not Angel’s first brush with the law and I’m sure he has attacked others as well. Decent, law abiding, kind people do not walk around with knives in their pockets. It’s WAY past time for all the bleeding heart liberals to wake up. All these “Angels” need to be put in jail and not released so all the rest of us can live our lives in peace and safety.
Barbara, please come forward with the information you have that the accused has a prior record, and that he has attacked others. That will definitely be important for the DA to know. Perhaps you will be subpoenaed for the info you seem to have.
Or did you just make that up?
So “bleeding heart liberals” all believe the same thing?
You might want to stop watching so much Fox News, open your eyes, and pay attention to the world.
You might be surprised to find some of your biases challenged.
Please let us know where we can contribute to Sameh.
Totally disgusting that this happened to him. This little piece of blank needs to be tried as an adult and, in the meantime, an order of protection needs to be filed. This creep needs to be off the streets and in jail for awhile where, hopefully, he can get a dose of his own medicine from other inmates.
John Gately and another friend have started a Gofundme page for Bules, who has two children.
I thought only the Lord was supposed to take vengeance?
The justice system is not about vengeance. That is sort of the whole point. It is about deterrence and justice, which does not involve making sure people get a taste of their own medicine”.
In fact, crime rates and recidivism are lower in countries where the jails are maintained in a civilized manner and used more sparingly. But it isn’t as much fun for the crowds wailing for blood.
“Santos was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court in March.” ?????? This is not a misprint?
What about setting up a gofundme page while he recuperates?
John Gately and another friend have started a Gofundme page for Bules, who has two children.
Who is going to set up a gofundme page for Mr. Santos? (I’m being sarcastic, but this is the UWS, after all…)
If you care so much, set one up.
What’s with all these people here asking about setting up a GoFundMe page?
You gotta love this “I care so much! I wish someone else would take some initiative so I can respond as passively as possible!”
According to the article, the kid stole chips once before. This time, he spat in the man’s face. The man defends himself with a broom, like any man would, and the kid JUST HAPPENS TO HAVE A KNIFE and stabs him.
In my world, this kid goes away for 30 years and immediately to jail. In the world of new york city and the upper west side, this kid goes home until march, probably gets off with no jail time and regrets none of what happened. This won’t be the first man he stabs.
When are we going to demand more respect for ourselves?
you make up a story about NYÇ and UWÍ, and want us to make demands based on it?
You’re right!
People should be convicted on the basis of a blog report and be sentenced to extreme sentences.
Trials are for losers!
Let me guess – you love America, worship the Constitution, but don’t understand what either means…
ha! well said!!
A 30 year conviction to a minor for aggravated assault (if that’s the charge, no idea if that’s what it would be)? That’s a bit draconian.
isn’t stabbing someone in the chest attempted murder, not aggravated assault? would anyone on here, including the liberal communists, want to experience being stabbed? getting a punctured kidney like this poor guy did? WAKE UP. Anyone who stabs someone should get locked up for years. Many years.
I’m not a lawyer, but no, this would not be attempted murder. There’s no reason to believe the perpetrator intended to stab the victim in the first place. It sounds like he spit on the victim and the situation escalated. There was no premeditation.
Attorneys typically have strong writing skills and a keen understanding of establishing guilt before condemning the accused.
Any reasonable lawyer understands that both sides of an issue deserve to be heard first and judged afterwards.
Good attorneys also are able to keep their own hysteria and biases in check.
All of which makes me suspect that you aren’t being completely truthful in stating that you are a lawyer.
I don’t even know where to start explaining to you how many wrong things you have stated here but I just don’t have the energy.
Google is your friend. Educate yourself…and by the way I AM a lawyer. It is ASTOUNDING to me how a few of you jump to defend this violent criminal and you don’t even know what you are talking about. Just spouting your ideas and opinions as if that was meaningful. Why? cause you saw it on Law & Order or something. Come on man.
No one is saying the kid doesn’t deserve his due process. This isn’t a 3rd world country. Just stop with the excuses for these people that have decided they don’t want to be law abiding members of our society. You are part of the problem if you go easy on them. Black, White, Hispanic, Asian…it doesn’t matter!!!! we are talking about violent crime here people! This kid wasn’t smoking a joint or jumping a turnstile. He’s dangerous.
They used to say that a liberal is just a conservative that hasn’t been mugged yet. This was back in the 70’s and 80’s when, trust me, if you lived in NYC you experienced it at least once. If not, you were extremely lucky.
…”liberal communists…
You do realize you are saying more about yourself than you are saying about any of us, right?
Please contribute! Only a few people have donated so far. Please do it now while it is top of mind. When people wait, it often doesn’t get done. This man seems so hard working and there’s no kind of disability insurance or financial cushion for people in these jobs. He must be so worried about money.
OK, so it seems that we can ALL agree that this kid needs a fair trial, innocent until proven guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt, jury of his peers, etc. and all that good stuff.
BUT…let out on barely any bail?!?! Running around free until that trial…This is a different issue, Mark and Nathan and Bruce. Don’t law abiding, tax paying citizens deserve safety and peace of mind?
Apparently you are all willing to risk our physical safety and even our lives to give this lovely young man the benefit of the doubt…again and again.
I really hope none of you are ever a victim. I haven’t been so lucky.
And by the way I used to be a criminal attorney so I am more than familiar with type of scenario. If I would have done his bond hearing he would have never have walked out of there.
You were a criminal attorney but you don’t understand how bail works?
Oy vey…
That’s all you got Mark? Kinda childish don’t ya think? At least Bruce here understands the issues. Bail is very often NOT granted depending on circumstances and sometimes set high enough to be prohibitive.
I would explain it all to you in greater detail but I charge hundreds of dollars/hr for that and I’m retired.
God Bless though…and stay safe out there all.
You do realize that you are only demonstrating my point, right?
A lawyer would understand that he/she needs facts of the case (beyond what is reported on a blog) to make a determination on a blog.
I realize that this may not be so obvious on TV crime shows, but TV shows aren’t the real world.
But it’s OK.
You were a lawyer.
George Costanza was an architect.
Anyone would be unlucky to encounter a “lawyer” who didn’t understand the law, the court system, and the Constitution of the United States of America.
Like I said….a child.
Thank You for making MY point. You’re lucky I never ended up with your file on my desk.:)
Have a great weekend! And be careful out there. I hope you don’t run into any of the criminals you so actively support.
Sorry, that was supposed to say “…make a determination on setting bail”.
Mark is once again on point.
Bail is determined by whether or not the accused is considered a flight risk. i believe ongoing danger to the community is also taken into account.
since we don’t know the facts about either, nor really any substantial facts about the case, it is just grandstanding to demand “no bail”.
Rationalizing that our jails are inhumane and provide lousy to no rehab value so as to encourage recidivism, therefore, a guy who is aggressive enough to stab someone over a series of intimidating instances over a bag of chips is trusted to turn into a good boy and return to court in March and face the music with a nod and a wink to all who trusted and believed in him… Trying hard to see how this makes our city a safer place… Yes, the victim should have complained before, but I doubt it would have gotten him anywhere, and that might have put his safety further at risk! No doubt the vendor had lots of experience with harassment and such. Sad for all, but more for the victim and his family. NPR had an interesting show yesterday about empathy–very complicated issue. Find it online. Peace