Union Sq. Park Hammer Suspect Tied To Earlier Madison Square Park Attack And Two Others

There was a heavy uniform police presence in Union Square Park on Tuesday evening.

Police have identified a Bronx man wanted in a series of hammer attacks in Manhattan on Monday.  (Photos: Geoffrey CroftNYC Park Advocates) Click on Images to enlarge

Manhattan

By Geoffrey Croft

Police have identified the man wanted in a series of hammer attacks.

Police believe the hammer-wielding man who attacked a woman in Union Square Park on Monday night also struck a 34-year-old woman two hours earlier in Madison Square Park.

The suspect wanted in Monday's Union Square Park attack is also tied to an earlier assualt in Madison Square Park. (Photo: DCPI)


Authorities now believe he is responsible for at least four attacks within six hours hours. 

There was a heavy uniform police presence in Union Square Park on Tuesday evening.

Wanted posters could be found on virtually every lamp post surrounding the park. 

The twenty-eight-year old victim was sitting alone on a park bench by Evelyn's Playground in Union Square Park when she was attacked from behind by the deranged man.

 “I was walking to the train station in Union Square and someone came up behind me and yelled something and then the next thing I know I was struck in the head,  she told CBS news.  

"I initially I thought I got punched, but later on when I looked at my hand I was bleeding.”

She has four staples in her head but is expected to be alright.

Police have identified a Bronx man with a psychological and arrest history as a suspect, the Daily News reported.  

According to the paper they were able to get his name through a facial recognition hit from a photograph of the attacker.



Police on patrol near Evelyn's Playground in Union Square Park where a twenty-eight-year old victim was attacked from behind by the deranged man.

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Woman, 28, Attacked With Hammer In Union Square Park

Suspect wanted by police in last night's attack in Union Square Park.  He is described as a male black, 30’s, medium build, wearing a black waist length jacket, dark-colored baseball hat, dark jeans, black sneakers, and wearing a black backpack.

Manhattan

By Geoffrey Croft

A twenty-eight-year old woman sitting along on a park bench by Evelyn's Playground in Union Square Park was viciously attacked by a deranged man last night.

The woman was sitting across from the suspect who was smoking in the park.  She got up and started to walk away when the man approached her from behind and suddenly hit her in the head with a hammer. 

The assailant exited the park at 16th street heading west bound. 

Five minutes later the man struck another woman in the head a block away on W. 16hth Street between 5th & 6th Avenue.

DCPI released following information:

The New York City Police Department is asking the public for assistance in locating and identifying the suspect who is wanted for assaults which occurred within the confines of the 13 Precinct. 

Details are as follows:

On Monday, May 11, 2015 at approximately 7:36, police responded to Union Square for a 911 call of an assault.  Upon arrival, officers determined that a 28-year-old female was sitting on a park bench inside the park when an unknown male removed a hammer from inside of a bag and struck her in the head.  EMS responded to the location and transported the victim to Lenox Hill Hospital in stable condition. 

Approximately 10 minutes later, a 33-year-old female walking westbound on West 17 Street, in the vicinity of 45 West 17 Street, when she was approached by an unknown suspect from behind and struck in the back of the head causing a scalp injury. EMS responded to the location and transported the victim to Lenox Hill Hospital in stable condition. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing. The suspect fled in an unknown direction. Both victims were treated and released.

The suspect is described as a male black, 30’s, medium build, wearing a black waist length jacket, dark-colored baseball hat, dark jeans, black sneakers, and wearing a black backpack.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

Queens Man Arrested On Drunk Driving Charges After Crashing Car & Toppling Lamppost Into Union Sq. Park Playground

A toppled lamp post near the swing area in Union Square Park.  A Queens man was arrested  on Sunday and charged with drunk driving after he crashed his vehicle into the park.   (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) Click in images to enlarge.

Manhattan

By Geoffrey Croft

A Queens man was arrested for drunk driving early Sunday morning by police in Union Square Park after crashing his vehicle into a lamp post which fell into a playground NYC Park Advocates has learned.


A portion of the lamp post at the park's entrance on 16th Street near Union Square West.

Bassam Richard,  31, of Queens was charged with DWI and destruction of government property.    

Richard entered the park from the Northeast corner of Union Square West and 16th Street and drove his vehicle on the sidewalk 100 feet and into a park safety lamp. The light toppled over into a planted area in Evelyn's Playground striking a tree and narrowly missing the swing set.

The incident happened at approximately 3:30 A.M.  

The driver was taken to Bellevue Hospital with unknown injuries. 

Sections of the destroyed lamp post lie scattered on the ground.  

The vehicle entered on the park sidewalk at 16th street and drove 100 feet  before striking the lamp post.

Park Workers Arrested For Stealing Crime Victims' Cell Phone

Updated

Manhattan

By Geoffrey Croft

It was not a good day for Union Square Park.

Police arrested two heart-less welfare workers employed by the Parks Department who stole a victims' belongings while he was being attacked in Union Square Park last Tuesday night NYC Park Advocates has learned.

While cleaning the park at approximalty 9:30pm Job Training Participant (JTP) workers Lydia Brito, 52 (13 prior arrests) and Arabian Breland, 26 (two prior arrests)  schemed to steal a cell phone and clothes during an incident where the man was punched in the face according to the police.

Police responded and witnesses said the victim put his bag on the ground while being attacked and soon realized his bag was gone.

Witnesses told police the two parks cleaners picked up the victim's bag and placed it inside a trash container and walked away. When cops confronted the pair, they denied knowledge of the missing bag and cell phone. Cops found the phone and the missing bag.   

The seasonal employees were arrested and charged with criminal possession of stolen property.   

The two are due back in court on August 26th, where they will be arraigned.

"They are currently still employed with NYC Parks, pending the resolution of their case or further information regarding the incident," the Parks Department said in statement.

Earlier in the day another career criminal was arrested for stealing a woman's I-Phone in Union Square Park near Evelyn's Playground.