Police identify man for in string of bias attacks against Asian women

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Police have identified a man they suspect of targeting and attacking Asian women following a new attack on Monday.

Police have been monitoring the blog of Tyrelle Shaw, 25, a self-described artist who creates bow ties. The New York City Police Department got his name through Crimestopper tips, and police have been visiting locations he is known to frequent. He is described 5 feet 11 inches, 15 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.

The blog explains the reasons for the attacks, said police, and Shaw also has posted that he is going to commit suicide.

The suspect typically wields a hard object wrapped in a white plastic bag, hits his victim, then runs away. He has hit at least four victims in the face. Police are treating these as bias, racial attacks.

In the latest incident, at 4 p.m. Monday, a 41-year-old Asian woman was on Mulberry Street where she works at a dry cleaners when the suspect tried to strike up a conversation with her. According to a co-worker, a man flashed a vulgar, sexual comment in Chinese on his cell phone and put it up to the window.

The victim told him to leave and threatened to call police. He reportedly responded by punching her in the mouth with a plastic bag filled with something hard. He fled on foot eastbound on Bayard Street. The victim was taken to the hospital, treated and released.

Police believe it is the same man who attacked three other Asian women in the past week in Manhattan:

1) On Wednesday, June 10, 2015, at 4:15 p.m., the victim, a 35-year-old Asian female, was sitting in the vicinity of 155 Grand Street when the suspect attempted to strike up a conversation with the her. The victim ignored her and the suspect left. Moments later, the suspect returned with a white plastic bag, containing a hard object. The suspect then struck the victim in the cheek/chin area and then fled the scene. The victim was removed to NY Downtown Hospital where she was treated and released.

2) On Wednesday, June 10, 2015, at 9:20 p.m., the victim, a 29-year-old Asian female, was walking down Park Avenue, in the vicinity of East 30 Streetwhen the suspect walked past her and waited at the corner. When the victim reached the corner the suspect struck her in the face with a white plastic bag containing a hard object. The victim was removed to NYU Hospital where she was treated and released.

3) On Friday, June 12, 2015, shortly after midnight, the victim, a 34-year-old Asian female, was walking in the vicinity of 2 Avenue and East 60 Street, when the suspects walked up to her and struck her in the forehead with a white plastic bag containing a hard object. The victim was removed to New York Hospital where she was treated and released.

"The guy just comes from behind, and then tried talking to me," said one 34-year-old victim.

The victim has stitches above her left eye, and said he either tried to talk to them or ask for a phone number.

On Tuesday, at 11 a.m. on East Houston Street and Avenue B, someone reported that they saw the suspect walking west on East Houston Street. Police responded but could not find the suspect.

Anyone with information in regards to any of these incidents is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.

There is a $2,500 reward in connection with this case.