Exclusive: Woman Speaks After Attacker Knocks Her Tooth Out In Unprovoked West Village Assault
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A 23-year-old woman lost a tooth after she was attacked getting off the subway in the West Village Wednesday morning, police sources said.
It happened at the Houston Street station around 6:30 a.m.
The victim had just exited the 1 train station and was headed to an exercise class when she was attacked. The suspect, who may have been homeless, was wearing all black and yelling incoherently, according to the victim.
This attack appears to have been completly unprovoked, the victim chosen at random.
She spoke to us exclusively tonight and says despite her screams for help, the punches just kept coming.
"Just still in shock, haven't really processed it," the victim said, speaking exclusively with CBS2's Valerie Castro.
Too terrified to show her face, this 23-year-old is now recovering after the violent attack.
She was helped in to an ambulance minutes after the assault on West Houston Street near MacDougal.
"I was walking to my workout class from the 1 stop on Houston-Verrick Street and once I crossed MacDougal I got pushed from the side and then attacked again and I was punched in the head."
Surveillance video released by police shows the suspect wearing all black as he appears to storm towards the victim and makes an aggressive gesture.
The woman said he seemed to be incoherent and slurring his words as he pummeled her.
"I tried to start running away and then while that happened I was pushed to the ground and then continued to be punched," the woman told CBS2.
"Then I was screaming for help and trying to say stop."
Eventually the woman was able to get away and ran to her workout studio where she got help.
"I've never heard of anything happening in this neighborhood like that," one area resident told CBS2's Alice Gainer.
"I feel sorry for them, but i mean if they're mentally you know? I hope they're taken care of," Greenwich Village resident Anne Frevola added.
Other people who work and come through the area say at times there are homeless people loitering and one in particular who gets agitated with passers-by.
"He was definitely very mentally unstable so it's a sad reality, so hopefully he'll be able to get the help that he needs," the victim added.
The 23-year-old believes it's only a matter of time until police track him down.
"It could have been a lot worse, I feel very lucky."
Anyone with any information 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 on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
