[i]A custodian shoveling snow outside an East Harlem school was slashed across the face by three teens in an apparently random attack early Wednesday, police said. Edward Maldonado, 43, was clearing the sidewalk in front of Public School 102 on E. 113th St. when he was attacked at 3:51 a.m., police sources said. Three males in their late teens asked Maldonado for the time and then pounced when he looked at his watch, police said. He was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital and needed stitches to close a deep cut on his face, cops said. A teacher, who didn’t want to be identified, said the custodian was well-liked. The teacher said cops told employees the attack might have been gang-related. "From what we were told, it sounds like it might be a gang initiation type of situation," the teacher said. An NYPD spokesman was unable to confirm the gang link. A woman who lives across the street in the Jefferson Houses said she feared for her safety. "It's not all that surprising. They need more police out here. This is a dangerous neighborhood," said Janus Rodgers, who has lived in the area for five years. "When I come home at night I'm always looking around, looking over my shoulder, because there are always groups of kids hanging out, looking for trouble,” Rodgers said.[/i]