A man died in Brooklyn on Tuesday evening after police say he was beaten and robbed in the back of a ride-hail car by two men who got into the car at an intersection.
Michael Shelonchik, 53, was sitting in the back of the vehicle around 6:15 p.m. at the intersection of West 5th Street and Neptune Avenue in Coney Island when the men opened the door, began assaulting him and snatched a chain off his neck, NYPD officials said on Wednesday.
The driver tried to drive away from the perpetrators but only made it a few blocks before Shelonchik lost consciousness, police said. First responders were called and took him to Maimonides Medical Center, where he died.
NYPD officials said it was still unclear whether Shelonchik knew the suspects, and police made no immediate arrests. The NYPD was investigating the case early Wednesday as a potentially suspicious death, while Shelonchik’s cause of death was being determined.
Police initially said Shelonchik was in an Uber but later said it was a livery cab.
Shelonchik’s brother Ronnie Shelonchik said over the phone on Wednesday that he did not know much about the incident. “All I heard was that he was meeting some people and that's it,” he said.
Ronnie Shelonchik said he was close with Michael, who worked in the wholesale business and had two daughters. The brothers were supposed to meet up for dinner to celebrate Michael’s birthday, which was this past Sunday, but Ronnie said he could not attend because of the snow and they were going to meet this coming Saturday instead.
“He was a great family man. Great father,” Ronnie said. He added that his brother often wore a Jewish star on a gold chain on his neck, but said he wasn’t sure if it was valuable.
Police say Michael Shelonchik, 53, died after being attacked in a ride-hail vehicle in Coney Island on Jan. 21, 2025.
Michael Shelonchik lived in Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, according to police. It wasn’t immediately clear what he was doing or who he was meeting in Coney Island.
Police data shows robberies have been trending down so far this year in the NYPD’s 60th Precinct, which includes Coney Island, Brighton Beach and Sea Gate. There were four fewer robberies in the precinct through Jan. 19, compared to the same period in 2024, according to the data.
Felony assaults in the precinct were down by one incident, the data shows.
This story is based on preliminary information from police and has been updated with additional information.
