Incident Involving NYU Student and Suspect with a History of Violence

On Tuesday, a 45-year-old homeless man, known for a troubling history of sexual offenses and violence against women, was apprehended after assaulting a 20-year-old NYU student near the campus in Manhattan.

The suspect, James Rizzo, approached NYU sophomore Amelia Lewis as she headed to class, reportedly slapping her on the buttocks before punching her in the head, which caused her to fall to the ground.

In a TikTok video where she shared her experience, Lewis expressed her outrage: “I can’t believe this happened. I’m a student at NYU, and I shouldn’t feel scared walking to class at 9:30 a.m. It’s disgusting that people like him are allowed to roam free and target women. I heard he did the same thing a month ago.”

Rizzo is categorized as a Level 2 offender in the New York City Sex Offender Registry and has a troubling background, having been convicted in March 2023 for inappropriate conduct with another person just the month before that.

“The university is relieved that the suspect has been arrested. We take this seriously and continue to support our student,” said NYU spokesman John Beckman in a statement. He added that campus safety is assisting with the investigation.

Following the incident, Rizzo faced multiple charges, including persistent sexual abuse, forcible touching, and assault. Authorities noted that he has a history of 16 previous arrests related to similar offenses.

Just days before the assault on Lewis, Rizzo allegedly attacked a 68-year-old woman on Fifth Avenue, elbowing her hard enough to cause her to fall and sustain a significant injury.

Additionally, Rizzo was linked to a robbery in a nearby building where police discovered him during the act of stealing. He was connected to four incidents of theft in the area around Washington Square Park, which involved multiple victims, including a 28-year-old man whose suitcase and backpack went missing.

One of the theft victims, a 58-year-old woman, noted her relief that she wasn’t harmed more severely during her encounter, stating, “I feel really fortunate. It could have ended much worse.”

In the aftermath of these events, Rizzo was charged with robbery, assault, sexual abuse, and forcible touching related to the attack on Lewis.

Lewis chose not to comment further as she exited the police station where Rizzo was being held.

“Man arrested on video caught in random attack on NYU student,” shared a user on social media, highlighting the distressing incident.