Videos going viral on social media detail jarring claims of women being punched in the face by random men on the streets of New York City.
The New York City Police Department has confirmed the validity of such claims with Scripps News, saying arrests have been made.
On March 25, TikTok user @halleykate detailed her assault in a video that garnered nearly 50 million views.
"I was just walking and a man came up and punched me in the face," said the Tiktoker, whose name is listed only as Halley. "Oh my God it hurts so bad, I can't even talk. Literally I fell to the ground."
She was visibly shaken and had a large lump on the side of her forehead in the video.
In a statement on X, the NYPD said it was aware of a viral video on social media "depicting a woman who was randomly assaulted in an unprovoked attack."
The NYPD told Scripps News the 23-year-old female was hit in the head Monday by an unknown individual and fell to the ground. She suffered injuries to the left side of her face and was treated at a local medical facility.
Following an investigation into the attack, police told Scripps News that 40-year-old Skiboky Stora of Brooklyn was arrested and charged with assault.
In its statement on social media, the NYPD said they discovered that the suspect "is a criminal recidivist with an extensive criminal record."
"Your NYPD detectives were able to identify the man after he was previously arrested for similar attacks, only to be released back onto our streets. This incident will be his third arrest in the past six months," police said.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 28, 2024
In what seems to be an unfortunate pattern, a similar attack happened that same day.
In the unrelated incident, a 27-year-old female reported that she was walking on 5th Avenue on Monday when an unknown man punched her in the face and injured her right eye, police said.
The NYPD told Scripps News that 30-year-old Mallik Miah was arrested Thursday and charged with assault in connection with that incident.
"Your officers will continue to remain resilient in their efforts to stop violent criminals, ensuring the safety of our communities," the NYPD said in a statement on X.
Other New York women have taken to TikTok to share similar stories.
"Real Housewives of New York" star Bethenny Frankel spoke on her own experience in a TikTok video.
She said she was visiting a bakery a few months ago when a homeless man randomly hit her in the face.
"It's a crazy crime spree and I don't understand it, and I'm sorry to all the other women it's happening to," she said.
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