Shirtless Suspect Launches Homophobic Assault in NYC
A shirtless man put his brawn to vicious use, striking a woman and shouting anti-LGBTQ+ epithets before fleeing the scene; in a separate attack, a female victim suffered a broken nose when she was struck by a man who hurled homophobic slurs, The Patch reported.
The woman, 52, was jogging in Hudson River Park at about 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 21 when the shirtless man, described as "stand[ing] 6 feet 2 inches tall and weigh[ing] about 210 pounds," struck her across the face, knocking her to the ground and causing "cuts to her face, knee and hand, police said," according to The Patch.
The attacker ran from the scene after striking the woman, but security cameras caught images of him, which the NYPD shared as part of its Crimestoppers program. Anyone with information is asked to call the line at 1-800-577-8477.
Also on Aug. 21, a different suspect was taken into custody in Bed-Stuy several days after he allegedly struck a woman on a subway platform in Brooklyn and assailed her with anti-LGBTQ+ epithets. The suspect, 22-year-old Ian Williams, reportedly groped the woman before striking her in the face on the afternoon of Aug. 17.
Williams "now faces charges including assault, sexual abuse and forcible touching for the hate crime, according to the NYPD," The Patch reported in a separate article. He's expected to appear in court Aug. 25.