In a significant breakthrough, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) has apprehended Daquan Armstead, a deranged individual suspected of carrying out a series of unprovoked attacks on women in the city. Armstead, 31, was taken into custody shortly after midnight and has been charged with third-degree assault and harassment in connection with eight separate incidents targeting women over the past month.
One of the assaults occurred on April 17, when a 27-year-old administrator at New York University was punched in the face while walking through Washington Square Park. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is currently investigating this incident, although specific details have not been disclosed.
Armstead is also facing charges related to seven other attacks that took place earlier this year. The violent spree began on February 12, when he allegedly approached a 30-year-old woman on Elizabeth Street and punched her without warning before fleeing the scene. On March 24, Armstead is accused of attacking a 30-year-old woman on Delancey Street, striking her in the back of the head as she turned, and then fleeing once again.
Further incidents involving Armstead include an assault on a 36-year-old woman on Chrystie and Rivington streets on March 25, where he punched her in the back. On April 2, he allegedly punched a 38-year-old woman in the back of the head after she informed him that she had no cash when he asked her for $1. Two separate attacks occurred on April 5 on Delancey Street, targeting a 25-year-old woman who was punched on the right side of her head and a 44-year-old woman who was punched in the face just five minutes later.
In the most recent incident prior to the assault on the NYU administrator, Armstead allegedly punched a 24-year-old woman on Stanton Street after she also refused to give him $1. Records indicate that Armstead has a prior arrest history, including a misdemeanor assault case in 2021. He is expected to be arraigned on the new charges later today.
It is important to note that the NYPD is also investigating a series of other attacks on women that have not been linked to Armstead. These include the assault of a 23-year-old woman outside a Union Square McDonald’s last month, for which Skiboky Stora, a criminal with an extensive record, was arrested. Additionally, a 57-year-old Brooklyn school bus aide was brutally attacked in Crown Heights, resulting in a broken jaw and several lost teeth. Franz Jeudy, known for previous sucker-punch attacks and mental illness, has been charged with misdemeanor assault in that case.
