A 16-year-old girl was arrested Tuesday on two counts of assault for allegedly punching a 51-year-old Asian woman in front of the victim’s children on a subway train in Manhattan Thursday.
The woman, 51, was attacked while on board a F train at the West 4th Street subway station at around 8 p.m. Aug. 3, following a dispute she had with three teenage girls—including the 16-year-old who was arrested, police said.
The alleged perpetrator made an anti-ethnic remark, according to police, before pulling the 51-year-old to the ground by her hair and repeatedly punching her head. The victim was pummeled in front of her children and husband. The attack was posted to Twitter and went viral.
The trio then fled the station. The victim sustained bruising and swelling to her head as a result of the incident. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force was brought into investigate.
The 16-year-old, who was arrested Tuesday night, faces assault charges but not as a hate crime. The teenager’s name has not been released, given her young age.
Read more: NYC Crime Report: Homicides and Shootings Decrease
