Suspect arrested in punch of woman in face inside Times Square subway station
TIMES SQUARE, Manhattan (WABC) -- Police have made an arrest following a random attack in the subway in Times Square, and the victim is describing the incident exclusively to Eyewitness News.
Police say the 36-year-old suspect has an extensive criminal history.
Video showed a man punching the 43-year-old woman in the face after she bumped into him at the turnstile.
Police officers spotted him on surveillance at the same station on Tuesday and made the arrest.
The attack happened on Sunday at around 7:30 p.m. inside the station as the woman was heading to the #2 train.
The victim, Nucian Butler, says she never saw it coming, did not have time to react and now says she is terrified to get back on the train.
"It was out of nowhere, no one expected it," she said.
A complete stranger threw the punch at her face without saying a word.
"This guy just approached me and just cold blind-sided me and hit me in the side of my head for no apparent reason," said Nucian.
She says she did notice the man hovering near the turnstiles but didn't feel threatened. The science teacher from the Bronx said she was carrying so many bags, she couldn't fit through the turnstiles.
So she swiped her card and a lady opened the door. She doesn't remember bumping into the man but will never forget that punch and the blood.
"I don't know if he hit me with his hand or if he had an instrument, I don't know, I still don't know," said Nucian. She was knocked to the ground and the suspect took off.
It took five stitches to close the gaping wound over her right eye, which is still swollen and bruised.
She just wishes she had seen the suspect out of the corner of her eye. "I'm not a pushover so I would have definitely fought him back. If I had known he was coming towards me, we would have fought, there would have been a struggle," she said.
But she will never forget a different group of strangers, those who rushed to help.
"That really touched me, I felt so good about that," she said. "There are good people out here in the world and they are caring people that were compassionate enough to come to my defense and help me."
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