A disturbing trend of unprovoked attacks on women in Lower Manhattan shows no signs of abating, as another victim was randomly punched near Union Square. The incident occurred on March 20 at approximately 4:30 p.m., when a 33-year-old woman was walking on Union Square East near East 16th Street. The assailant, wearing a “Lilo & Stitch” sweatshirt, approached her from behind and delivered a forceful blow to her face before fleeing north on Park Avenue.
The victim, who sustained minor injuries, declined medical attention at the scene. The New York Police Department (NYPD) released a surveillance photo of the suspect, hoping to gather information from the public. This incident follows a recent surge in similar attacks on women in the area.
Just hours before this incident, Ashley Cruz, 23, was punched in the face by an assailant who emerged from a Union Square McDonald’s. The attack occurred on Sixth Avenue near West 14th Street around 10 a.m. on the same day. Cruz, still shaken by the unprovoked assault, expressed her shock and disbelief at the suddenness of the attack. She now finds herself reevaluating her sense of safety in the city she calls home.
Other victims of these random assaults include Halley Kate, a TikTok influencer with a substantial following, who reported being assaulted so violently that she blacked out. Skiboky Stora, a repeat offender with a lengthy criminal record, was apprehended in connection with one of the attacks. In a separate incident, Dulche Pichardo, a 57-year-old school bus aide, suffered a broken jaw and lost several teeth when she was punched by an unstable individual while walking home from work in Crown Heights. Franz Jeudy, a man with a history of similar sucker-punch attacks and mental illness, was charged in relation to this assault.
Despite the severity of the victims’ injuries, Jeudy was released on supervised release by a Brooklyn judge, as the offenses were not eligible for bail. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny has dismissed any notion that these attacks are part of a social media trend, emphasizing that such incidents occur regularly. He encourages victims to come forward and report these incidents, suggesting that the recent increase in reports may be due to heightened awareness rather than a surge in actual occurrences.
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The unprovoked attacks on women in Lower Manhattan are like a dark cloud that looms over the city, casting a shadow of fear and uncertainty. Each attack is like a lightning bolt, striking without warning and leaving victims shocked and traumatized. The trend, unfortunately, seems to be gaining strength, like a storm that refuses to dissipate. Just as the storm continues to brew, the safety of women in Lower Manhattan remains at risk, with no signs of improvement in sight.