Woman sucker-punched in face in Manhattan speaks out, police search for suspect
GREENWICH VILLAGE, Manhattan (WABC) -- A woman said she was experiencing post-traumatic stress weeks after a man sucker-punched her in the face while she walked down the street in Manhattan.
The unprovoked attack left a gash under the woman's eyebrow that required 10 stitches.
"As more people were walking down the street, more people were gathering around me. That's when I realized I was bleeding. That's something I hadn't realized at first. There was a lot of blood," said the woman, who asked not to be identified.
She said she was walking on Waverly Place between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue in Greenwich Village just after 6 p.m. the evening of January 7 when she saw the man walking towards her.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, she said, but as they passed each other, without saying a word, he struck her and then ran off.
"Shock I would say. The first thing was, it just happened so quickly. I was just walking and the next minute his fist was on my face," the woman said.
Almost three weeks, later her physical injuries were slowly beginning to heal, but her psychological pain and trauma were still with her.
"I haven't been able to go outside by myself yet. I actually did go out by myself yesterday during the daylight only five blocks, but I'm definitely experiencing PTSD. In my head I know it's very unlikely something like this would happen again, but my body reacts differently. Heart racing, sweating, all of that," the woman said.
Police released surveillance photos of the man they're searching for.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
People can also submit tips on the CrimeStoppers website and on Twitter by tweeting @NYPDTips.
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