Elderly Woman Punched In Random Midtown Subway Attack: Police

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A woman in her seventies was attacked by a stranger in a Midtown subway station last month, according to police, who asked for help identifying the suspect.

The assault happened around 8 p.m. on April 24, when the victim, a 71-year-old woman, was entering the 34th Street–Herald Square station.

Another woman approached the victim, pulled her hair and punched her in the side of the head, police said. The suspect fled on foot, while the victim declined medical attention at the scene.

Police on Monday released surveillance footage showing the suspect in the subway station just after the assault.

Crime has risen by about 20 percent this year in the police precinct where the assault happened, according to NYPD statistics.

Across the city, crime is down by about 5 percent compared to the same period last year, although some categories including murders, assaults and shootings are all on the rise.

Authorities asked anyone with information to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). People can also submit tips online or on Twitter, @NYPDTips.