Police: Woman Sucker Punched On Brooklyn Sidewalk In Random, Broad Daylight Attack

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Police are searching for a man seen on video sucker punching a woman in broad daylight on a Brooklyn sidewalk.

The random attack happened around 12:10 p.m. March 9 on the corner of Nostrand Avenue and Crown Street in Crown Heights.

Police said the suspect approached the 27-year-old victim and hit her in the head, knocking her to the ground.

She drove herself to a nearby hospital to be treated for a head injury.

"I'm scared, I'm scared to walk at night," one Crown Heights resident told CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis. "When I'm walking, I keep looking. If I see anybody too close to me, I just move over from there."

"Totally unacceptable. No man should be putting his hands on a woman," a man added.

Mother Basirat Subair told DeAngelis the area is often crowded with kids, including her own.

"It's horrific, it's scary. As a woman, you know, that's very scary," she said. "My son goes to the school right here, so it's horrible that it's happening so close to a school area. And it looks like it was just random, doesn't look like he knew her or anything like that."

Others in the neighborhood said they were shocked and worried, as well.

"It's a shame, it's just a shame. I hope they catch him," a man said.

"I don't know what I would do if somebody did that to my wife and kids," said Joseph Rose.

Investigators said they're searching for a black man, approximately 40 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, with black facial hair, last seen wearing a black wool hat, navy blue jacket with a white stripe depicting the word "Yale," blue jeans and black sneakers.

Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers website, by Tweeting @NYPDTips or by texting a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.

In:
• Brooklyn
• Crown Heights
• New York