A homeless man was picked up today in Central Park for the savage attack on 1010WINS anchor Brian Carey, police sources said.
Anthony Elton, 48, was nabbed by cops at 11 a.m. and taken to the Manhattan Robbery Squad for questioning after a tipster called police, sources said.
“He’s being interviewed by detectives right now,” said one law enforcement source. “Technically, he’s a person of interest. He hasn’t been charged yet.”
Carey, 52, was brutally beaten in his Upper East Side apartment building Monday night by Elton, his homeless on-again, off-again lover, police sources told The Post.
He suffered a broken jaw, facial fractures and a deep gash, the sources said.
Carey, whose voice is familiar to millions of news junkies who listen to 1010 WINS, staggered downstairs and collapsed in the lobby, sources said.
Police found him semi-conscious. His wallet and cell phone were missing.
“He had a sexual liaison with the guy,” said one police source. “They had a on and off relationship. The perp is homeless.”
Carey was rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital. He was unable to talk to investigators at first because of his shattered jaw.
But last night, the newsman started communicating with detectives and gave several different accounts.
“He first said it was a robbery,” said one police source. “Then he said he knew the guy.”
Carey ID’d his attacker to cops, who are now searching for the suspect.
Carey has been a fixture at the “most-listened to station in the nation” for more than a decade, and currently anchors the weekday “afternoon drive” newscasts from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
He’s also heard across the country on the ABC Radio Networks.
According to his official bio, Carey started out in radio news as a teen in Pennsylvania, where he got his first job at WNAK by agreeing to cut the grass outside the station.
In 2005, he won the Achievement in Radio Award for Best News Anchor in New York City, as well as first place from the Associated Press for 1st Place Associated Press Award for Best Regularly Scheduled Newscast.
WINS News Director Ben Mevorach said tonight: “Brian is a treasured member of the 1010 WINS family. Right now all of our focus is on helping him in his recovery.”