Even if the expectant father lives, he may never see his first child.
Arber Bruncaj, 42, was attacked by a two-bit actor, suffering massive brain injuries after he was punched out in what appears to be an unprovoked assault in Midtown.
A police source said Shu (Richie) Ng, 40, floored the victim with a right-hand haymaker on Aug. 26. Bruncaj was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he slipped into a coma on Friday.
Doctors removed the front part of his skull to relieve pressure on his brain. He’s in critical condition, breathing with the aid of a respirator. Sources said if Bruncaj regains consciousness, he will likely be blind and never walk again. Compounding the grief for Bruncaj’s family, there’s a baby girl due in February.
“We know that if he is able to, he will be worried sick about his beloved wife and the baby they wanted so badly,” a relative said in a GoFundMe page created to offset hospital bills. “He has been so excited to meet his baby girl and we want to do everything we can to make sure that it happens.”
Another cousin said the family is praying for a miracle.
“We all had optimism and hope for recovery but Arber slipped into (a) coma on Friday and had emergency brain surgery,” Liridona Bruncaj-Sheholli wrote on Facebook. “His prognosis isn’t good and we are all praying for a miracle. We need all the prayers we can get.”
Ng, an ex-con on parole after a manslaughter conviction, was arrested Tuesday and charged with felony assault. Officials said the charges would likely be upgraded if Bruncaj dies.
The attack happened just days away from his second anniversary outside the Empire Steakhouse on E. 50th St. where the victim, his wife, Arieta, and two of her cousins had a few drinks. They left just after 11 p.m.
While one of the cousins was talking to the manager, Ng allegedly approached Bruncaj. The suspect had been at a birthday party on the second floor of the steakhouse but seemingly had no prior interaction with Bruncaj, sources said. The actor is seen on video yelling at Bruncaj, sources said.
When others stepped in to push Ng away he circled around them and floored the victim with a punch to the face, then fled east.
Now relatives are hoping that Bruncaj will be alive to welcome his daughter into the world. He works as a resident manager at a downtown Brooklyn condominium and rental tower, according to his LinkedIn page.
Ng, who lives in Queens, was arrested at Forest Hills Hospital, where he was being treated for a cut and infection to the same hand he allegedly used to hit Bruncaj. Before he could be interviewed, Ng lawyered up and clammed up, sources said.
Ng is on parole until 2028 for a Manhattan manslaughter conviction for which he served 16 years. He was released in 2010.
The Hong Kong-born man has several acting credits on his résumé, including minor roles in movies “Siji: Driver,” “Circle” and “The Streets.”
He was ordered held on $250,000 bail.
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