Asian Woman Slapped While Outdoor Dining In Chinatown: VIDEO

CHINATOWN, NY — A 25-year-old Asian woman was sitting with a friend at an outdoor dining setup in Chinatown on Wednesday at 7:36 p.m. when an attacker slapped her in the face, according to police.

The attacker approached the woman sitting at 279 Grand Street and made multiple anti-Asian remarks before briefly walking away and then doubling back to slap the 25-year-old in the face, police said.

The perpetrator fled the scene after the unprovoked hit to the face, and the 25-year-old woman refused medical attention, according to police.

The New York Police Department released a video Thursday morning of the incident in an effort to help find the attacker.

The attack is one of the latest in a surge of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans across New York City.

On Tuesday, the NYPD reported there were 31 such incidents in March 2021, averaging out to one per day, and compared to zero hate crimes that targeted Asian New Yorkers in March 2020.

Anyone with information in regard to Wednesday's attack in Chinatown is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).