A 61-year-old Brooklyn father died Saturday after he was allegedly punched by a tow truck driver who was hooking up his vehicle to cart away, according to authorities.
The victim was identified by family and friends as Carlyle Thomas of Brownsville, Brooklyn, the New York Post reported.
Thomas said that he lived near the Shell gas station on Clarkson Ave. and sometimes temporarily parked in gas station parking spots, a friend told the paper.
Thomas reportedly rushed to the gas station Saturday night after getting a heads-up that a tow truck was about to haul off his car.
Thomas got into an argument with the 30-year-old tow truck driver, who allegedly punched him in the face, causing Thomas to "fall and hit the pavement," police told the paper. Thomas was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
The victim's nephew, Dominic Graham, 37, said his family was in shock.
"He was a good guy. Around here he was the neighborhood boss. He knows everyone," Graham told the paper.
Thomas reportedly worked as a trainer at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens.
The NYPD took the tow truck driver into custody at the scene and a spokesperson told HNGN via email that the investigation was continuing. Charges were not immediately filed.