#‘Career criminal’ NYC brute held on bail for knocking 92-year-old into fire hydrant

A convicted sex offender who has been arrested more than 100 times — including three busts this year for which he was released pending trial — was finally held on bail Wednesday at his Manhattan Criminal Court arraignment for randomly knocking an elderly woman into a fire hydrant.

Judge Paul McDonnell called Rashid Brimmage, 31, “a career criminal” and ordered him held on $50,000 cash or $100,000 insurance company bond. The judge, lawyers and defendant all appeared by Skype for the virtual arraignment due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Brimmage, who faces one count of second-degree assault, appeared on a monitor that wasn’t visible from the gallery.

Assistant District Attorney Courtney Razner said Brimmage shoved 92-year-old Geraldine to the ground as he passed her on the sidewalk on Third Avenue and East 16th Street at about 3:30 p.m. on Friday. She suffered a laceration to her head.

“He’s a violent predicate felon facing a minimum of five years in state prison for this case,” the prosecutor said, arguing for $100,000 cash bail or $300,000 insurance company bond. She added that he has been convicted of 36 misdemeanors and three felonies.

Defense lawyer Henna Khan countered that Brimmage should be allowed to walk out of the courtroom without bail, calling him “indigent and harmless.”

She claimed that the attack on Geraldine, which was captured by surveillance cameras, didn’t show “a deliberate act of violence.” A social worker told the judge that Brimmage suffers from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

He was also arraigned on an unrelated misdemeanor assault case stemming from a March 9 arrest for which he originally got a desk appearance ticket.

He was arrested Tuesday and allegedly confessed after investigators recognized him from video footage of the attack, according to court papers.

Geraldine, who asked that her last name be withheld for her safety, told The Post on Tuesday that she’s now too scared to walk alone in her neighborhood.

“Mostly I’m shaken. My head still hurts where it was bleeding, where I hit the hydrant — or where he hit me, I don’t know,” she said.

“Mainly it’s psychological — just the fear of going out on the street,” she added.

“This damned guy put me in a state where I’m fearful to walk the streets alone. So my super’s trying to find somebody who will walk me to a park nearby or to the supermarket, that kind of thing. So that’s the problem.”

The retired teacher, who has lived in Manhattan for more than 50 years, was treated at Beth Israel Hospital.

Brimmage has been arrested 103 times since 2005 — including for two sex offenses in 2014, records show. He was convicted of sexual misconduct in 2012.

He also has three recent cases in the Bronx.

On Feb. 4, he allegedly slapped and threatened to kill the owner of a Dunkin’ Donuts who asked him to leave his shop, according to court papers. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and got a conditional discharge.

A week later, he punched a woman in the arm at the same shop, the papers say. It’s unclear if she worked there. The case is still pending.

On March 5, he was hit with a trespassing summons also in the Bronx.

Additional reporting by Greg Mango