Moment NYC man is left with huge head wound that needed seven stitches after being hit with hammer for looking at suspect 'the wrong way' amid ongoing Big Apple crime spiral
Surveillance footage caught the shocking moment a man struck a victim in the back of his head and left him bleeding on a New York Subway station platform Saturday night, after the victim looked at the suspect in the 'wrong way.'
'Don't look at me,' the attacker told the 44-year-old victim, who was waiting on the platform at Union Square Station NQRW train platform at around 9 p.m. Saturday, according to the police. 'If you come any closer, I'm going to hit you.'
The unnamed victim then walked away, the New York Post reports, but the attacker went to another bench from were he pulled a hammer out of his bag.
Surveillance footage from the incident shows the suspect take something out of his bag and twirl it around as he walks across the platform, where he seems to whack another person, off-screen.
He was then seen on surveillance footage calmly walking out the subway station.
'The victim tries to get away,' police said, 'and the perp comes back with a hammer and hits him.'
Police announced on Sunday that the victim had actually fallen into the tracks following the whack, but was pulled to safety by good Samaritans.
The victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he needed seven stitches to close his head wound.
The NYPD is now looking for the suspect in the random attack.
Anyone with information is is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS
Surveillance footage shows an unidentified man twirling an object - believed to be a hammer - in his hand as he walked over to a man off-screen on the other side of the platform
The suspect then starts swinging the apparent weapon - leaving the victim bleeding in the subway tracks at around 9 p.m. Saturday night
The suspect was later seen calmly leaving the Union Square Station
Police are now asking for the public's help in identifying the suspect seen here
The attack comes just one day after another woman was randomly attacked on a subway platform - on Friday morning, police said, a woman was beaten with a metal pole while waiting for the G train.
And just last week, another man was randomly attacked by an alleged Iraq War veteran swinging a hatchet, hitting him three times in the head and once in the leg.
The victim, Miguel Solorzano, 50, was left bleeding on the sidewalk until medics were able to bandage his head and transport him to Bellevue Hospital for his injuries.
He had undergone two surgeries, and is in stable condition, but still could not process why the suspect - believed to be Aaron Garcia, 37, of Yonkers - would target him.
Solorzano said he saw the suspect outside of the Chase Bank in Lower Manhattan last weekend before entering the ATM vestibule to deposit a check, when the suspect started attacking him.
'He didn't even rob me,' Solorzano told the New York Daily News in Spanish on Wednesday. 'He took nothing. Nothing. He was crazy.'
Garcia was arrested last Tuesday, after allegedly going through a rampage around town. He was charged with attempted murder and assault.
Surveillance footage from a Chase Bank in lower Manhattan shows the moment an attacker - later identified as Aaron Garcia - suddenly walks up behind Miguel Solorzano, 50, and begins swinging his weapon in the violent attack
Terrified and bloodied, Solorzano desperately tries to grab the weapon away from his attacker
Eventually, Solorazano, severely bloodied, flees, and his attacker does not follow. Police say they have the charged Garcia with assault and attempted murder in connection to the attack
City police officers responded to the scene, speaking to Solorzano who sat bleeding on the sidewalk outside of the Chase Bank in lower Manhattan
Authorities wrapped Solorzano's head in bandages as blood dripped down his face following the assault on Sunday night
Throughout the city, crime has been increasing in almost all categories.
According to NYPD data, felony assaults are up 5.3 percent from last year, as of August 15, with misdemeanor assaults up 2.1 percent.
Murders have also increased, from 275 reported during the same time frame in 2020 to 277 reported thus far in 2021.
There have also been 10.7 percent more shooting incidents, with 7 percent more victims.
And grand larcenies have also increased 1.6 percent, with grand larcenies from automobiles skyrocketing 20.2 percent.
Rapes have increased 8.6 percent and hate crimes have nearly doubled.
Crime rates throughout New York City have been increasing over last year
Earlier this month, de Blasio proudly proclaimed that the 'Safe Summer' program has been effective and said in July the NYPD curved violent crime
Despite these staggering statistics, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier this month that his 'Safe Summer' program has driven down murder and gun attacks in the city.
The mayor debuted the Safe Summer program in April as a way to end gun violence by creating disincentives for young people looking to turn to guns by offering them positive alternatives.
At a press briefing on August 5, de Blasio proudly proclaimed that the program has been effective and said in the month of July the NYPD saw 'extraordinary successes' to curve violent crime.
Listing statistics from July, de Blasio noted that the NYPD made 383 gun arrests in July alone, up 133.5 percent compared to last July, the mayor said, while gun arrests in general have gone up 44.5 percent in 2021.
According to the mayor, the summer month of July is usually one of the most violent in the city but the NYPD 'rose to the challenge' and was able to suppress gun violence and executed an impressive number of gang takedowns.
'The gang takedowns mean taking a lot of bad guys off of the streets and at the same time a lot of shooters off the streets, this is crucial,' de Blasio noted.
Overall since the safe summer program was launched in May, murders have gone down 26 percent, shootings decreased 10 percent and shooting victims are down 11 percent.
'There is more to do,' he said, 'but the NYPD is moving and making an impact.'
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