YONKERS, N.Y. — Police in New York have arrested a man they say attacked a woman, punching her and stomping on her head.
The attack was caught on video by a security camera in the vestibule of the building where the attack took place.
The Yonkers Police Department released video showing the violent attack. In the video, you can see a man come in behind a woman and punch her in the back of the head, causing her to fall to the floor. For nearly two minutes, the man can be seen repeatedly punching the woman on the ground before finally stomping on her head, spitting on her and walking away.
“This is one of the most appalling attacks I have ever seen; to beat a helpless woman is despicable and targeting her because of her race makes it more so. This defendant must be held to the maximum punishment allowed by law to send a clear message that hateful, violent behavior will not be tolerated in our communities,” Commissioner John Mueller said in a statement.
In a news release, police said they arrested Tammel Esco, who was charged with attempted murder as a hate crime. Investigators said Esco had seen the victim walking by and used a racial slur, which the victim ignored. Esco is accused of following the victim into her building and attacking her.
The victim suffered cuts to her head and face, facial bone fractures and bleeding on the brain. She is in stable condition at a hospital.
A witness called 911 when she saw the attack happening and told WNBC she knocked on the door to get the man’s attention and get him to leave.
Esco has been arrested 14 times before and was convicted of assault in 2011, The New York Times reported.
Tenants told WABC the suspect lives in the same building as the victim.
Since 2020, Asian people have been targeted by verbal abuse and physical attacks, with a total of 10,905 hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander people reported from March 19, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2021, CNN reported. In New York City, police said there were 131 hate incidents targeting Asians in 2021, up from 28 in 2020 and three in 2019, The New York Times reported.
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