A shoeless maniac randomly attacked a number of strangers and even cops in an unhinged Wednesday morning spree in Chelsea – leaving one sufferer lamenting to The Submit “this shouldn’t be occurring.”
The unhinged man allegedly punched photographer and artist Jose Castillo, 38, at West twenty sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue round 9:20 a.m., police mentioned.
Castillo, a New Yorker of 12 years who has a studio in SoHo, was strolling to choose up provides in Chelsea when he strolled previous a person who had been asking folks for cash on the road.
Out of nowhere, that man turned violent, Castillo mentioned.
“I felt [like I was] punched within the face, and it knocked me to the bottom,” he mentioned. “A pair those who had been round got here by to see if I used to be OK and helped me up. I wasn’t knocked out, however I used to be knocked right down to the ground by the punch.”
“And as I used to be getting up, to only , mud it off and carry on strolling as a result of it’s New York, one of many those who was serving to me mentioned like, ‘You’re bleeding in your face,’ and she or he mentioned, ‘It’s best to name the cops,’” Castillo added.
As he dialed 911, he appeared again to see if the madman was nonetheless in sight – and caught him punching a teen lady, a vacationer who was visiting town along with her mother.
“I noticed it from perhaps like half a block away as I used to be strolling over and he hit her within the face too,” Castillo mentioned. “However by the point I reached them, the younger lady was inconsolable. She was crying as a result of she had simply been attacked in the midst of the road.
“After I went over and approached them, and I used to be like, ‘Hey, did he assault you too?’, they usually had been like, ‘Yeah, he simply punched her too,’ and by then I used to be already on the road with 911 and I used to be telling them what was occurring.”
Each mother and daughter, who had been “fairly shaken up,” had been now not on the scene by the point cops arrived.
“I assume that is gonna be their New York story, ,” Castillo mentioned.
As Castillo was on the cellphone with the dispatcher, he mentioned he witnessed the crazed man assault one other teen.
“He acquired as much as these younger youngsters that appeared like they had been in center college and after they didn’t pay any consideration to him, he smacked one in all them at the back of the pinnacle,” he mentioned. “I used to be telling all of this to the dispatcher and letting them know that they need to get there quick, as a result of this man was, , attacking folks randomly.”
Because the officers approached, the road menace turned “combative” and turned on them too — punching a 30-year-old male officer within the face, and spitting on a 30-year-old feminine cop, authorities mentioned.
One other officer, 53, additionally damage his shoulder whereas trying to take the assailant into custody, police mentioned.
“As they get near him, this man simply begins swinging, and hits one of many officers on the fitting facet of his face, they usually tried to comprise him,” Castillo mentioned. “You understand, that man wasn’t that tall, he was about 5-foot-7, however he was actually robust for somebody that was that skinny.
“It was simply havoc,” the sufferer recalled. “The cops tried to…restrain him they usually had been having points with that. Two different law enforcement officials got here by and helped … .I do know that he was spitting at officers on the station and within the automobile.”
Castillo was handled on the scene for minor accidents, however mentioned he thinks he must get checked out additional.
“Proper now, I’m going to get an X-ray of my face as a result of…. I’ve ache, like I feel that he moved one in all my tooth at the back of my mouth,” he mentioned.
The 2 male officers had been hospitalized in secure situation, in accordance with cops.
In the meantime, the attacker — who is taken into account an emotionally disturbed particular person — was taken to Bellevue Hospital for an analysis, police mentioned.
He was taken into police custody with prices pending. His title was not instantly recognized and police had been contemplating him a “John Doe.”
He wore solely socks however no sneakers in the course of the string of assaults, and gave the impression to be in his mid-40s, Castillo mentioned.
“Principally he was simply silent and threatening, getting in folks’s faces,” he recalled. “You understand, this man was critical. I’ve been residing right here for 12 years, and I’ve seen some those who had been performing slightly deranged, however this man undoubtedly was….I feel that he wanted some assist.”
In the meantime, Castillo mentioned that assaults like these “shouldn’t be occurring.”
“There are alternate options that might be put in place to assist these folks out,” he mentioned. “The police response was fast, they had been very useful. I feel that we ought to be grateful that we stay in a metropolis that has such a powerful police drive that’s there for us.”
