Man charged with punching woman in the face in NYC appears in court for separate case
NEW YORK -- The NYPD continues to investigate the pattern of women being randomly attacked in the city.
In the past two weeks, police say there have been a dozen reported incidents and six arrests. They've also identified two other suspects.
One of the accused was in court Wednesday for prior crimes. CBS New York was there and spoke to him.
"I was literally just walking and a man came up and punched me in the face," a 23-year-old woman said.
Last week, Skiboky Stora was arrested for allegedly randomly punching the woman on Seventh Avenue near 17th Street.
The 40-year-old ranted outside the courtroom on Wednesday. When asked if he attacked the woman, Stora said, "Say what?"
When the question was repeated, Stora said, "I'm running for mayor."
He also ranted inside the courtroom, where cameras were not allowed. He frequently interrupted the judge, saying, "I feel my rights are being violated."
The judge replied, "I can't control how you feel, but your rights are not being violated."
Stora was in court for three open cases. The NYPD says he has a history of similar assaults and has been arrested several times in the past six months.
Other women have been posting online about being randomly punched on New York City sidewalks in recent weeks. In court Wednesday, a prosecutor noted the other allegations being investigated but said when it comes to Stora there is, "No evidence that connects this defendant to the other so-called viral assaults."
However, sources said he remains a suspect in several other cases.
NYPD releases new video of punch suspect
The NYPD released video of a man who they say punched a woman in the face on March 20. It shows him running down Sixth Avenue.
"A woman is walking along by herself. A male exits a McDonald's and, unprovoked, punches her in the face. She receives a broken nose," NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
Police say the majority of the incidents have been occurring in Manhattan South, or Midtown and below.
As for Stora, he filed a motion to represent himself. His lawyer said he was fine with it, but it was denied by two judges.
Stora will be back in court at the end of the month.
The NYPD is encouraging people to report these crimes when they happen. Anyone with information about the crime spree is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.