New York University sent out an alert warning students and faculty to be on the lookout after an administrator was punched in the face near campus in broad daylight, the latest random attack to plague Manhattan.
The 27-year-old administrator was walking near Washington Square Park North around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday when a stranger approached her on the sidewalk and punched her on the right side of the face. No words were exchanged.
The attacker took off afterward.
The victim was not seriously injured, but the case marks the latest attack in a series of men assaulting unsuspecting women without any warning. The NYPD says it doesn't appear the attacks are linked -- they have arrested at least two different suspects in some of the cases -- though department data does show a rise in such attacks recently.
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According to the NYPD, there have been 50 unprovoked attacks involving men attacking women they don't know over the last 28 days. That's an increase of 8% compared with the same time period last year. Overall, NYPD numbers show such incidents are down year over year, by 12%.
Nonetheless, many women are walking around the city with their heads on swivels to minimize their chances of becoming the next victims.
"I'm honestly scared, but it is what it is," one woman said. "You just got to watch, make sure you're OK. Take care of yourself."
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In the last month, dozens of women have taken to social media to report similar incidents.
The NYPD says it encourages that reporting, so officers can make more arrests.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
