Police: Mallet-Wielding Attacker Hurts Sleeping Man, Extorts Family

The Bohemia resident was asleep at home on Friday evening when a man he knew attacked him with a mallet, injuring his head, police said

A mallet-wielding attacker hit a sleeping Long Island man before phoning the victim's father and demanding cash in exchange for not hurting him further, police said.

Joseph E. Ferraro, 27, pleaded not guilty Saturday to charges of burglary and grand larceny for extortion, according to Newsday.

Police said a Bohemia resident was asleep at home on Friday evening when Ferraro attacked him with a mallet, injuring his head. Ferraro then called the victim's father and threatened to hurt the man more if he didn't receive what police say was "a large amount of cash," according to Suffolk County police, who said Ferraro and the victim knew each other.

The father went to an ATM and then delivered the cash, and the victim's mother tried to drive her son to the hospital, police said. Part of the way there, the victim became sick, and his mother pulled over to the side of the road. An ambulance was summoned, and he was brought to the hospital.

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