Two Asian women were attacked Sunday night by a woman who approached them and demanded they remove their face masks.
According to reports, the women — who are 31 and 29 — were walking in midtown New York City when they were approached.
“An unknown individual demanded they remove their masks and then struck the 31-year-old female in the head with a hammer, causing a laceration,” according to a statement.
According to ABC7, the victim has been identified only by her first name: Theresa. She was walking a friend to the nearby subway stop when the attack happened.
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The incident occurred near a restaurant where patrons were dining outside, so there were witnesses. “A drunken woman hit them with a hammer in the head,” one said. “The perp, young fellow, and his girlfriend were walking down the sidewalk, and she just came up screaming and hit them in the head. I saw it happen, with a hammer. She’s long gone.”
Reports note that restaurant diners rushed to assist the woman and her friend.
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Theresa, the victim, said that before the attack, she noticed the woman alone, talking to herself.
“So, we just wanted to pass through her quickly, and when I passed through her, she saw us and said, ‘Take off your f***ing mask,’ which is shocking,” she said. “Suddenly, I felt my head get hit by something.”
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Theresa is a native of Taiwan who recently returned to New York to complete a master’s degree. She is considering moving back to Taiwan until crimes against Asian Americans decrease.
New York City police are asking citizens for tips, and Mayor Bill de Blasio called on New Yorkers to stand in solidarity with their Asian American neighbors. Crimes against them in New York City have increased by 40% since the beginning of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
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