A man, 45-year-old James Rizzo, has been arrested and charged after a shocking, random attack on a student, Amelia Lewis, from New York University (NYU) in Greenwich Village, New York.
According to police, the incident happened Monday morning in front of 735 Broadway as the 20-year-old woman walked to class. The suspect suddenly approached her, pulled her hair, and struck her head and butt. The force of the attack knocked her to the ground.
Several people nearby were shocked by what they saw. A group of women who walked behind the victim rushed to her aid and called 911. He was later arrested and charged with persistent sexual abuse, forcible touching and assault.
The university expressed relief that a suspect is in custody. A statement from NYU said they are offering support to the student, and that their Campus Safety Department worked closely with police.
“The University is pleased that a suspect has been apprehended in the attack on one of its students that took place Monday morning on a Broadway sidewalk,” NYU spokesperson John Beckman said.
Some students and community members said the case has increased concerns about safety. One NYU graduate student, Ashlyn Prieto, described the video of the assault as “scary and very disturbing,” and said the incident highlights the need to stay alert, especially when walking alone.
“I saw the video as well, which was scary and very disturbing,” said Prieto. “So, it’s definitely something to be more on the lookout, especially as my commute towards the park, especially because that was exactly like route that I would take. So it was very scary.”
Lewis has made a statement regarding the attack. “I just really want to emphasize how not ok this is,” the victim said in a video post. “I’m honestly still in shock, but I’m more enraged that things like this are able to happen in this city, and we really need to do something about it because this is unacceptable.”
After investigating, authorities have found that Rizzo has previous charges against him, including burglaries and a persistent sexual abuse conviction, for which he was sentenced to two years in a state prison and released in September.
