Police hope images help find suspects

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The search is on for at leas three people who broke into a Buffalo home Saturday night and attacked an elderly man inside.

Levi Clayton is well-known in his church community, where he has served as a deacon for many years. The 96-year-old was brutally beaten by burglars and remains at ECMC with a broken jaw, unable to speak.

PHOTO GALLERY | Police released images of the suspects in the hopes of getting tips from the public

Surveillance video of the Longview Avenue home invasion is being used by Buffalo Police to help track the suspects. Detectives are also interested in a dark-colored minivan they believe may be connected to the crime.

Mayor Byron Brown says detectives are working hard to pursue leads in the case, and says he plans to visit Clayton at the hospital.

"It made me sick when I heard about it. That a coward or cowards would do something like this. My message to those who did this cowardly thing to a 96-year-old man is you can run but you can't hide. And I wouldn't be too comfortable if I was the people that did this," Mayor Brown said.

Word of the attack on Clayton traveled fast to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on Clinton Street.

Church custodian James Mozee said, "The whole church was really hurt about that because that was a great man here. We all broke out and wanted to start crying because we can't see it happening to this man."

The mayor is hoping someone who knows something will come forward.

"I suspect that will be the case with this situation because there was some surveillance footage. There are some leads," he said.

For Clayton's family members, they can't understand why someone would do this.

"Every time I go through the video and I see it, it breaks my heart. They have no remorse. No respect. And I'm just going to pray. That's what I'm going to do," the relative said.

If you have any information, call Buffalo Police at 847-2255, where you can leave a confidential tip for detectives.