Custodian Edward Maldonado slashed by 3 teens while shoveling sidewalk outside East Harlem PS 102 school

This is disgusting!  This guy could’ve been my cousin or brother.  Why do we have to put up with this?

NY DailyNews reports a custodian shoveling snow outside an East Harlem school was slashed across the face by three teens in an apparently random attack early Wednesday, police said.

Edward Maldonado, 43, was clearing the sidewalk in front of Public School 102 on E. 113th St. when he was attacked at 3:51 a.m., police sources said.

Three males in their late teens asked Maldonado for the time and then pounced when he looked at his watch, police said. He was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital and needed stitches to close a deep cut on his face, cops said.

A teacher, who didn’t want to be identified, said the custodian was well-liked.

"He's going to be OK, thankfully. But he's got a really bad gash and got plenty of stitches," the teacher said. "It's terrible. It really is. We are all upset. And to think, this poor guy was just trying to clear snow so kids could get to school."

The teacher said cops told employees the attack might have been gang-related. 

"From what we were told, it sounds like it might be a gang initiation type of situation," the teacher said. 

An NYPD spokesman was unable to confirm the gang link.

Maldonado, who was outside with two other men, told cops he didn’t know his attackers.

“There were three grown men here, and these kids still went up and attacked him," the teacher said.

More here

This guy was just minding his business, doing his job.  Nobody should have this happen to them!