A man accused of slashing a 59-year-old Asian woman in New York City’s Times Square on Sunday morning has been arrested and charged with a hate crime.
Anthony Evans, 30, has reportedly been nabbed more than 30 times in the past for various crimes, including robbery, weapon possession and turnstile jumping.
Surveillance footage of Sunday’s incident at 7th Ave. and W. 42nd St. shows Evans allegedly running up to the victim and slashing her from behind with a box cutter.
The victim, a tailor who was heading home with groceries, reportedly suffered a deep cut on her right hand and a less serious wound on her right forearm.
Evans, whose previous mugshot was released earlier this week, was arrested on Tuesday morning and charged with assault as a hate crime, as well as criminal possession of a weapon.
“My mom is happy an arrest has been made and that the perpetrator is off the streets,” the victim’s daughter, who has not been identified, told the New York Post.
While no words were reportedly exchanged during the incident, the victim believes she might have been targeted for being Asian.
“He, from the back, just like this,” the victim previously told ABC 7 News, mimicking her assailant’s actions. “And then I’m feeling someone punched my arm, my hand, and I said, ‘Ah.’ It’s feeling very painful.”
While an arrest has been made, the victim’s daughter said her mother is still suffering from trauma.
“It was such a violent action and she’s still traumatized from it,” she told the New York Daily News.
Evans will be arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Featured Image via New York Police Department
