VIDEO: Suspect Arrested for Allegedly Targeting Asian Women in NYC

Officials arrested a man for alleged attacks on Asian women in Manhattan as crimes in the area have continued to increase.

Steven Zajonc, 28, is now facing charges of assault as a hate crime, attempted assault as a hate crime, aggravated harassment, and harassment, CBS News reported Thursday.

The outlet continued:

As CBS New York’s Aundrea Cline-Thomas reports, police said seven women were targeted Sunday in different incidents between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., in an area stretching from Madison Avenue and East 30th Street to Broadway and East Eighth Street. Police say each victim was Asian, between the ages of 19 and 57, and they were punched or elbowed in the face. The NYPD said no words were spoken between the suspects and his victims.

In a social media post Wednesday, the NYPD Crime Stoppers posted surveillance footage of the suspect and said he had been taken into custody.

The clips showed the blonde man wearing a light-colored shirt, black pants, and carrying a backpack:

The following individual has been arrested in regards to the below assaults. https://t.co/XcN1IlBmkN

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) March 3, 2022

Per the CBS report, the alleged victims suffered facial swelling or cuts to their lips and crews took one person to the hospital for treatment.

28YO Steven Zajonc had nothing to say as he was walked out of the precinct tonight. He was charged with 7 counts of assault as a hate crime, 7 counts of aggravated harassment and 7 counts of attempted assault as a hate crime. #StopAsianHate @NYPDHateCrimes @NYPDAsianHCTF https://t.co/WiOauhWxYW pic.twitter.com/4gZ4ufmlLl

— Sarah Y. Kim (@Syissle) March 3, 2022

Zajonc had no prior arrests in the city and was believed to be homeless. However, he reportedly had a past Florida address.

Meanwhile, the New York Post reported in late February major crime and gun violence continued to surge and police data found serious crime had risen approximately 14 percent in 2022 compared to the same time in 2020.

“While much of this year’s crime increase is primarily driven by car thefts — a nationwide COVID-era trend that cops have struggled to reign in — New York has seen an uptick in felony assaults, burglary and grand larceny over the first eight weeks of 2022,” the article read.

Most voters believe “crime is getting worse in America” as 83 percent think it will be one of the main issues during the midterm elections, a Rasmussen Reports poll released last month found.

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