Shirtless Man Assaults Jogger While Yelling Anti-Gay Slurs
Assault, which occurred on a Manhattan street on Monday evening, mirrors a similar incident against a subway rider earlier this month.
A shirtless man assaulted a female jogger in Manhattan on Monday night, yelling anti-gay slurs as he attacked her.
The jogger, 52, was slapped in the face outside Pier 40 near Houston Street around 8:30 p.m. on Monday, according to police.
The female jogger fell to the ground, causing her to sustain cuts to her face, knee and hand, reports local news website Patch.com.
The assailant then fled on foot. He is described as being about 6’2″ and weighing about 210 pounds. Although he was shirtless at the time of the attack, he was carrying a gray T-shirt and wearing gray shorts and gray sneakers.
New York City police are urging anyone with information to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). They can also submit anonymous tips via the CrimeStoppers website.
It remains unclear what provoked the man to act out violently against the jogger, although the use of anti-gay slurs appears to point to the idea that the assault may have been motivated by animus against gay people or those perceived to be gay or lesbian.
Monday’s attack marks the second time this month that a man, seemingly unprovoked, has assaulted a woman while yelling anti-gay slurs. On Tuesday, police announced the arrest of Ian Williams, a 22-year-old Brooklyn resident who is accused of groping and punching a fellow subway rider in the face, breaking the woman’s nose in the process. Williams allegedly yelled homophobic slurs at the woman while he attacked her.
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