The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has released a chilling video, seen below, showing a man stabbing a 16-year-old girl in what the victim said was a “random” attack.
Warning: Viewer Discretion is Advised:
The attack occurred at approximately 6:00 p.m. on May 22 as the teen was heading into a juice bar in the 1000 block of Rutland Avenue in Brooklyn, the NYPD said in a tweet. Police said the suspect, who they later identified in a tweet as Osie Lewis, 20, accosted her from the rear before sinking a knife into her left shoulder and fleeing the area, WPIX noted.
“I felt a sharp pain,” the 16-year-old told the New York Post, which did not reveal her identity. “It didn’t feel like I got stabbed or anything, so I just went into the store, and two men came in and told me that I had been stabbed. They said they saw him do it.”
She told the Post that she was not familiar with her assailant and added that she believes the attack was “random.”
The teen said the men walked her home, and at some point, she received treatment for the wound at Brookdale University Hospital, according to the outlet.
The incident has made the poor girl fearful of going about her day-to-day activities.
“I just keep looking over my shoulder,” she told the Post. “I just keep looking to the side. It’s a bit scary to go outside now. I’m really anxious. It still plays in the back of my head.”
Lewis remains on the loose and has a slender build at 150 pounds, and “was last seen wearing a black t-shirt with a picture of a white lion on the back, grey sweatpants and white sneakers,” WPIX wrote, citing police.
Crime rates in New York City have climbed dramatically under the watch of Mayor Eric Adams since he assumed office on New Year’s Day. From January 1 through May 29, the seven major felonies have seen a 38.4 percent increase compared to the same period in 2021, the NYPD’s crime statistics show. Moreover, felony assaults are up 18.4 percent, and misdemeanor assaults are up 26.6 percent during the same period compared to last year.