NYC Dad Says Man Slashed Him While He Was Walking With Son, Shouted ‘F— Your Country'

A man walking with his 1-year-old son was slashed by an attacker who yelled "f--- your country" as he ran away, the father told News 4. 

The 41-year-old father, who only speaks Spanish, said he was walking with his son on East 139th Street in the Bronx's Mott Haven neighborhood on Thursday when the man -- a complete stranger -- came out of nowhere and attacked him. 

"I felt the force on my face," he said. "At first I thought he had hit me with his hand, but it turned out to be a blade."

Surveillance footage obtained exclusively by News 4 shows the attacker approach the father and suddenly cut his face before running off.

The father then takes off after the man, holding up his son’s scooter over his head like a weapon, the footage shows. The toddler, meanwhile, stands and watches his father chase after the attacker. 

The father told News 4 the man shouted "f--- your country" as he ran away. He said he quickly returned to his son's side and called police.

"I couldn't do anything more, so I ran back to grab my son," he said. "I was worried someone could kidnap my son."

The dad told News 4 that the violent episode has left both him and the boy traumatized.

"Frankly, I'm scared," he said. "We're looking for psychological help for my son. At night he can't sleep, he wakes up all the time, crying. This scared him."

Anyone with information about the attacker should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.