COLONIE — An off-duty police sergeant helped apprehend a suspect accused of assaulting a 78-year-old woman at Colonie Center, authorities said Wednesday.
The Colonie Police Department responded to a report of an assault at the shopping center at 12:38 p.m. on April 15.
Police said an unknown male suspect threw the elderly woman to the ground, causing a head injury that required immediate hospitalization.
Later that day, at approximately 4:46 p.m., off-duty Sergeant Erik Nielsen spotted a man matching the suspect’s description while shopping at Northway Mall.
Nielsen alerted on-duty officers who quickly responded and arrested the suspect, identified as Aaron M. Woolley, 34, who is homeless.
Woolley is currently in custody at the Albany County Correctional Facility.
The victim is recovering from her injuries, according to police.
