Surveillance video shows woman suddenly punch a 74-year-old woman in Midtown, police said. (New York Daily News Handout)
An elderly woman was knocked to the ground with a sucker punch by a stranger in a harrowing caught-on-camera attack in Midtown, police said Friday.
The 74-year-old victim, who is Asian, was walking down tony Madison Ave. near E. 52nd St. about 11 a.m. Wednesday when an unidentified woman reared back, planted her right foot and socked the septuagenarian on the left side of her face, video recovered by police shows.
The senior stumbled to her right and fell onto the sidewalk, cops said. EMS took her to NYU Langone Hospital-Manhattan, where she was treated and released.
The random attack rattled workers along the chic shopping strip, which includes high-end boutiques like Lladro. The attack took place about two blocks from St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
“Madison and Lexington are pretty clean over here,” Eddie Peralta, who works nearby, told the Daily News, claiming the woman who sparked the attack must have emotional problems.
“We gotta do something about all these people with mental issues outside,” Peralta, 38, said. “It’s like this island is only gonna be for the rich people and crazy people.”
“Sometimes you get screamers around, but this block is usually quiet,” added another neighborhood employee, who wished not to be named.
Surveillance video shows woman suddenly punch a 74-year-old woman in Midtown, police said.
Video shows the woman, who was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt and black shorts rummaging through what appears to be a gym bag before attacking her victim.
The woman didn’t say a word as she punched the victim and walked off. She appeared to look back at the older woman once before heading north on Madison Ave., the video shows.
The victim, who lives in Queens, told police she had never seen the woman who attacked her before.
Surveillance video shows woman suddenly punch a 74-year-old woman in Midtown, police said. (NYPD)
Midtown merchants claim they’ve been inundated by unhinged homeless people and petty thieves over the last year.
“Everyday there’s something,” said one local shopkeeper who would only identify herself as Irene. “Someone just came in and took a bag from my window. It’s a terrible thing. New York is not safe.”
It’s a situation you can’t control unless you have security on every corner,” said Irene, 50. “It’s a sad story.”
Since the victim is Asian, the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is probing the case. The assault is not currently being considered a bias crime because the attacker didn’t say anything when she pounced.
There have been numerous high-profile crimes targeting Asians in New York this year. Many have been random attacks.
Anti-Asian crimes include an incident in the Meatpacking District on June 11, where 47-year-old Madeline Becker picked a fight and pepper sprayed four young Asian women, telling them they should go back to where they came from. Becker was arrested for the attack a week later.
Cops in June also arrested Isaiah Jordan for a Nov. 2 attack against four Asian men on 20th Ave. near 64th St. in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Jordan allegedly pepper sprayed the four men for speaking Cantonese in front of him.
Police released the video in the most recent attack in hopes someone recognizes the assailant.
Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Copyright © 2022, New York Daily News
Copyright © 2022, New York Daily News