The attacks were completely unprovoked.
Women in New York City are taking to TikTok to warn others of a disturbing pattern. They describe similar scenes: They were walking down the street, usually in broad daylight, when they were punched in the face by an unknown man. Here’s what we know about these troubling incidents:
Why are women getting punched in New York?
On March 17, Olivia Brand posted on TikTok that she was walking on the NYC sidewalk when a man came up to her, said “Sorry,” and punched her in the head.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only victim of this kind of surprise attack: On March 25, TikTok user @halleykate posted a video where she tearfully recounts how she was “literally just walking” when a man came up to her and punched her in the face so hard that she fell down. In a later video, she explained that she was sending an email on her phone when a man who was walking a dog either punched or elbowed her — she wasn’t sure, because she blacked out after the assault. (She later received medical attention.)
Halley’s original video has been viewed 46.8 million times, and other women have come forward with eerily similar stories. TikToker @mikaylatoninato said that while she was walking home and sending a text, a man came up and hit her in the face.
The attacks appear to have all been unprovoked, but it’s unclear if they’re related or were committed by the different assailants. It doesn’t seem like these incidents were confined to one area, either — while some women reported being in downtown when they were assaulted, one woman told NBC that she was getting out of the subway at Times Square when a man punched her in the head.
Bethenny Frankel says she was assaulted in NYC
In a since-deleted comment, Real Housewives of New York City alum Bethenny Frankel said that she, too, was hit in a similar manner. “This is insane bc this happened to me a few months ago but I was embarrassed to say,” she wrote. She added that she was in the Upper West Side, taking a video of a bakery, when the incident happened. A rep for Frankel did not immediately respond to PEOPLE‘s request for comment on the story.
Suspect in custody over alleged assaults
On Wednesday, USA Today reported that police arrested a 40-year-old Brooklyn man in connection with one of the assaults.
Also on Wednesday, the NYPD posted a statement on X saying, “The NYPD is aware of a viral video circulating on social media depicting a woman who was randomly assaulted in an unprovoked attack.” It continued, “The individual has been arrested and charged and is a criminal recidivist with an extensive criminal record.” The statement added that the man in question had been arrested for similar attacks.
A spokesperson told USA Today that police are still investigating another incident involving a 25-year-old woman who was punched in the head on St. Patrick’s Day, and said it was “unclear if these incidents are connected at this time.” The man in custody does not appear to be the same one who committed the assault in Times Square.
Troubling violence comes amidst public safety concerns
The assaults have occurred amidst a renewed debate over crime and public safety in New York City. Earlier this month, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that she’d be sending nearly 750 National Guard members to assist with bag checks in certain busy subway stations, after a series of high-profile crimes on the subway. The move was met with some criticism, including from a former NYC Police Commissioner, who told Gothamist that he was skeptical the National Guard would “have a direct impact on what is effectively causing the problems in the subway system as it relates to crime and disorder.”
Other former police officials told the outlet that the types of crimes that had been occurring on the subway, like people being pushed onto the tracks, aren’t committed with a weapon that would be found during a bag check — and that the National Guard doesn’t have the power to make arrests, anyway. (They can assist with detaining a suspect in case of an imminent threat, though.)
Since the fall of 2022, Gov. Hochul and NYC Mayor Eric Adams have been increasing police presence in the transit system. Earlier this week, city officials announced that they would send an additional 800 officers to turnstiles at various stations to crack down on fare evasion, raising concerns that Black and Hispanic people would be disproportionately targeted.
In February 2024, the NYPD announced that incidents of shootings, murder, and grand larceny in the city were down compared to this time last year. However, felony assault and robbery increased 3.6 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively. Still, according to FBI data, crime appears to be down nationally from last year.
That said, some women on social media say they feel less safe in New York City after seeing videos about the recent assaults. One said on TikTok that she’s “never felt so unsafe in the city” and it’s one of the reasons she’s moving out of New York. Another woman who was attacked in the Lower East Side told NBC, “What’s really unbearable is that general never-ending feeling now of feeling unsafe and feeling constantly alert, constantly looking over my shoulder.”
The woman who was assaulted in Times Square said the traumatic experience will affect her for the rest of her life. “We are always cautious about walking at night,” she says in a video, “now we have to be cautious about walking in broad daylight.”
