Male, 30, allegedly punches 9-year-old girl in face in NYC; he was charged just days prior with punching woman — and released
A 30-year-old male allegedly punched a 9-year-old girl in the face Saturday while she was with her mother in New York City's Grand Central Station. Just days before, cops charged the same suspect — reportedly for punching a woman and breaking her nose, after which authorities soon released him from custody.
What are the details?
Police said the girl and her mom were in the dining concourse at Grand Central just before noon when the suspect — identified as 30-year-old Jean Carlos Zarzuela — punched the girl in the face, WNBC-TV reported.
He got away before the Bronx girl was taken to the hospital, the station said.
The victim suffered from dizziness and pain, WPIX-TV reported, citing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. She's expected to recover, WPIX added.
Police arrested Zarzuela within a few hours, WNBC said. He was charged with assault, WPIX said, adding that the MTA indicated additional charges are pending.
Court records show police arrested Zarzuela about a week before — April 4 — and charged him with assault, WNBC reported, adding that a law enforcement source said Zarzuela randomly punched a 54-year-old woman inside Grand Central and broke her nose.
In that previous case, the source told WNBC a judge set Zarzuela's bail at $2,500 cash, and Zarzuela went to jail — but he went before a different judge April 9 and was released.
A concourse coffee shop worker who arrived at work just after the alleged assault against the girl had some interesting reactions during a WNBC interview.
"My coworkers were, like, 'Oh my God, like, a child got punched today in front of Tartinery,' and I was like, 'Wow, that's terrible, like, who was it?' and it's, like, it's this guy who has given us problems before," she told WNBC.
"He, like, fake, like, swings at people sometimes. But I guess he's, like, actually swinging at people now?" she also told WNBC, adding that "there is a very big, like, mental health crisis here, obviously, and, like, like, the reform for that isn't, you know, gonna just, like, change fast? So, I don't know, it's a very nuanced issue."
9-year-old girl punched in face by repeat Grand Central attacker: police | NBC New York youtu.be
“It doesn’t make any sense that this guy — who recently was released after being charged with randomly punching someone else and breaking that victim’s nose — should be back in a public space where he can attack others, especially children,” MTA Communications Director Tim Minton told WPIX. “The people responsible for the criminal justice system need to learn from this episode before more innocent people become victims.”
WPIX's video report called the suspect a "homeless individual."
Man arrested for punching girl in Grand Central: MTA youtu.be
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
www.theblaze.com
freebeacon.com