Random Attack on NYU Student Caught on Video

A New York University student was unexpectedly assaulted while heading to class on Monday morning in Lower Manhattan, an event documented by surveillance footage.

Amelia Lewis, age 20, described the incident happening just before 9:30 a.m. as she walked along Broadway. Suddenly, a man hit her from behind and knocked her to the ground without any warning or apparent reason.

In an emotional TikTok video, she recounted, “I felt something hit me really hard on my backside. I thought it was a friend just messing around. I turned around and was like, ‘Why did you do that?’” But, to her surprise, it was an older man who then grabbed her hair, pulled her down, and sent her headphones flying off her head. “It happened so fast, and I was left thinking, ‘What just happened?’ as he ran away,” Lewis said.

Surveillance footage supported her chilling account.

Following the incident, police arrested James Rizzo, a 45-year-old with a troubling history of attacks on women, on Tuesday evening. He faces charges including persistent sexual abuse, forcible touching, and assault.

Rizzo’s background is alarming—he has 16 prior arrests, encompassing several charges related to sexual offenses, and even served time for a murder charge back in 1997. He had only been out of prison for a couple of months after completing a two-year sentence for another sexual abuse conviction.

In a post on X, Lewis expressed her anger at the systemic issues, saying, “It’s shocking that something like this can happen in New York. We need to take action; this is not okay.” She emphasized her need to reconsider her voting choices, believing that the city requires significant support. Describing her attacker, she mentioned he appeared to be a tall white man with long brown hair and a beard.

A spokesperson from NYU labeled the incident as “deeply concerning,” assuring that they are providing support for the student and collaborating with police for further investigation.