A 60-year-old man is dead after a fight that started inside a Chelsea adult store on Sunday night, and the man accused of beating him was arrested about 30 minutes later when he came back to the scene for the phone he had dropped, according to police.
Investigators said the argument started inside Rainbow Station, at 203 Eighth Avenue, around 9 p.m. and spilled onto the sidewalk. The older man was pushed to the ground and kicked and stomped in the head, and his wallet was taken before the attacker ran off.
A worker at a store across the street called 911. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he died. Police have not released his name yet.
An employee at the store said the fight followed an argument over access to a basement club inside the business. Police have not announced a motive, and officials said there is no sign the attack is being investigated as a hate crime.
He came back for his phone. Police were waiting.
Police identified the suspect as Imani McColley, 25, of Queens. He has been charged with murder and two counts of robbery. Those charges are accusations, and he has not been convicted in this case.
Police said McColley has at least five prior arrests. The most recent came in September 2025, on an assault charge tied to an incident one block from where Sunday’s fight turned fatal. A man is dead over an argument in a store, and the case police had to solve was standing right in front of them, looking for his phone.
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