Mother and 10-year-old daughter repeatedly punched in the face on subway

Friday, November 11, 2022

Mother and daughter violently attacked on NYC subway

Police are searching for the woman who repeatedly punched a mother and her daughter in the face on a subway train. Johny Fernandez has the story.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- A mother and daughter are recovering after being violently attacked on a subway train in the Bronx.

A 36-year-old mother and her 10-year-old daughter were on a northbound 5 train when a woman approached them and began punching the mother in the face.

She then turned and began to punch the daughter in the face, before getting off the train at the Simpson Street station and fleeing the scene.

Video showed the moment the victim and her 10-year-old daughter were attacked.

The experience has left the family on edge, and the victim didn't want to be identified.

"You know the people see, nobody do nothing. Nobody do nothing. Just see," the victim said.

The family says they were heading home from school and noticed the attacker on the train but didn't have any interaction with her.

Moments later, the unthinkable happened.

"She don't say nothing to me, just she punched the head. Like crazy, just boom boom boom. She don't say nothing to me," the victim said.

The family got off at Westchester Avenue and Simpson Street where they asked for help from police.

The victim says they both were punched in the face and mouth.

The mother and daughter were taken to Jacobi Hospital and treated for their injuries.

The suspect was described to police as approximately in her 40's, around 5'8" tall, with a medium build and short black hair.

Police have now released pictures of the attacker. They say the attacker was last seen at the Simpson Street subway station in the Bronx. She was last seen wearing a black jacket and had on black sunglasses.

Despite the horrific experience, the mom says they've had to use the train daily, but her 10-year-old is having a hard time.

"My daughter is ok now," she said. "When she sees too much people, she says 'no, no don't go to the train'."

She tries to comfort her daughter, just like the day it happened.

"I say no worries, it's ok. Mommy is here, I protect you," she said.

She doesn't have much to say to her attacker.

"I don't say nothing to her," she said.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.