New York City is a place where anything can happen. Well, on Monday, something truly peculiar did.
Videos by Wide Open Country
A student from New York University was assaulted with a butt slap while walking to class. The incident occurred in Greenwich Village while a 20-year-old woman was on her way to her 9:30 class. And the whole thing was all caught on video.
What Does the Video Show?
The video shows a woman crossing the street, followed by a man in a blue scarf. As she walks, the man creeps up behind her, pulls her hair, and slaps her on the rear end.
After the initial assault, the man then knocks her to the ground with a slap to the face. Witnesses, shocked by what they see, then help the woman get up after the assault.
"I saw the video as well, which was scary and very disturbing," said student Ashlyn Prieto to ABC7 News. "So, it's definitely something to be more on the lookout, especially as my commute towards the park, especially because that was exactly the route that I would take. So it was very scary."
What Happened After the Butt Slap?
A spokesperson for NYU spoke to TMZ, which reported on the incident.
"The University is deeply disturbed by the attack on one of its female students that took place yesterday morning on a Broadway sidewalk," he told the outlet. "We take this incident very seriously; we are offering support to the student, and NYU's Campus Safety Department is working with the police in investigating the incident."
"The incident was reported to our Department of Campus Safety yesterday afternoon," he continued. "The department's victim services unit promptly reached out to the student; they have assisted her in connecting with detectives from the local precinct."
Has the Suspect Been Arrested?
Sources at the police department confirmed that officers responded to a 911 call.
The suspect was identified as 45-year-old James Rizzo. He was then arrested on charges of persistent sexual abuse, forcible touching, and assault. Before this incident, he had been arrested 16 times.
You can watch the video of the incident below.
