An 81-year-old New York City woman says she won't stop walking her dog every day, despite being hit in the side of the head by a man on Friday, according to reports.
FOX5 in New York City The woman, who only preferred to be known as Gloria, was reported to have said she felt “lucky” to be alive after being randomly beaten on Manhattan's Upper West Side and hospitalised.
Gloria, who suffered bruises on her face and neck, spoke exclusively to FOX 5's Duarte Gerardino.
She told the station she doesn't remember much about the incident because the attack left her with a concussion, but said it was “scary” nonetheless.
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An 81-year-old woman was attacked while walking her dog on New York City's Upper West Side on Friday. (FOX5, New York City)
“That's the scary thing. [it happened] “In front of my building,” she said.
Surveillance camera footage obtained by FOX 5 shows Gloria walking her dog on the sidewalk near West 66th Street and Amsterdam Avenue around 7 p.m. when a man in black clothing walks past her and appears to say something to her.
After a moment, the man in black turned around, walked towards Gloria from behind, swung around and punched her in the face.
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An 81-year-old woman was the victim of a random attack on New York City's Upper West Side on Friday. (FOX5, New York City)
The station paused the video and did not show the full extent of the attack, but said Gloria hit her head on the side of the building before losing balance and falling to the ground.
The next clip in the video shows Gloria falling to the ground and passers-by rushing to her aid as the man strides away.
“I didn't want to watch the video and think I was so lucky because maybe he had a knife,” she told the news station. “My neck was as thick as my face.”
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An 81-year-old woman was the victim of a random attack on New York City's Upper West Side on Friday. (FOX5, New York City)
Despite the attack, Gloria still walks her dog outside and told reporters she has no plans to hide in her apartment.
The New York Police Department continues to investigate the matter.
The attack added to a growing list of violent incidents in New York.
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An 81-year-old woman was the victim of a random attack on New York City's Upper West Side on Friday. (FOX5, New York City)
In March, several young women came forward on social media, claiming that they had been punched in the face or head by strangers while walking around New York City.
One of the women, TikTok user Olivia Bland, posted the video on March 17 after she was “hit on the sidewalk by a man.”
“He said, 'Sorry!' and hit me over the head,” she recalled. “Oh my god! What on earth happened?”
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Several other women reported similar incidents.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the New York Police Department for information about the incident.
Fox News' Angelica Stabile contributed to this report.
