What to Know
- The NYPD is looking for a man suspected in attacking four people over the span of a week, and cops think the attacks may be racially charged
- Four people have been attacked at night in Manhattan, and police said the victims may have been targeted because they are white
- In all four occurrences, there were no previous interactions between the suspect and the victim before the assault, and the suspect fled
The NYPD is looking for a man suspected in attacking four people in Manhattan over the span of a week, and police believe the attacks may be racially charged.
Four people have been attacked at night, the most recent assault coming August 14th, and cops said they may have been targeted because they are white.
The attacks started on August 9th, when a 56-year-old man was attacked just after 9 p.m. at the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 14th Street. The unidentified suspect pushed the man to the ground from behind, cutting his head, according to authorities.
The following Wednesday, the same suspect is believed to have attacked twice. Around 8:30 p.m., a 64-year-old woman was walking along Greenwich Avenue in the West Village when the suspect allegedly hit her in the neck and shoulder with a wooden stick. Just under an hour later, the suspect threw a brick at a 20-year-old woman walking on Wooster Street in SoHo, striking her in the back of the head, police said.
And just last week, officials said a 58-year-old man was on Eighth Avenue and West 18th Street in Chelsea after 11 p.m. when the suspect allegedly punched him in the face and made anti-white statements.
In all four occurrences, there were no previous interactions between the suspect and the victim before the assault, police said, and the suspect immediately fled the area. The victims each suffered minor injuries.
Local
Because of the comments made, the NYPD’s hate crimes unit is investigating. The suspect was seen multiple times on nearby surveillance cameras, with him walking around shirtless following the latest attack.
Anyone with information about the suspect or the incidents is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or submit tips to the Crime Stoppers website.
