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A New York University (NYU) college student said she was brutally assaulted on the way to class – and the whole thing was captured on shocking surveillance video.
Amelia Lewis recounted the incident Monday in two videos posted to her social media account, describing how a man followed her across the street as she was walking down Broadway before slapping her from behind.
“When I turned around, I saw this old, White guy and, like right when I turned around, he like grabbed my f—- hair like this and like yanked me and threw me to the ground,” said Lewis.
A group of girls is then seen in the footage helping her up after she was knocked off her feet.
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Lewis said the surveillance video was obtained by a friend of hers from a nearby liquor store. She described the assailant as a tall man with long brown hair and a long brown beard, wearing gray sweatpants, a black puffer jacket and a blue towel around his neck.
The college student said she sent the video to NYU security, who forwarded the footage to police.
“The University is pleased that a suspect has been apprehended in the attack on one of its students that took place Monday morning on a Broadway sidewalk. We take this incident very seriously,” said NYU spokesperson John Beckman. “We are continuing to offer support to the student, and our Campus Safety Department assisted the victim and worked with the police investigating the incident.”
“I just really want to emphasize how not OK this is. I am a student at NYU. I should not be scared to be walking the street to go to my 9:30 a.m. class. These people are disgusting, and they should not be able to be walking around the street freely targeting girls and doing this. Cause I heard that this guy did this a month ago,” Lewis said in the video.
“I’m honestly still in shock, but I’m more enraged that things like this are able to happen in this city and we really need to do something about it because this is unacceptable,” she continued. “This just shows that you really need to reflect on who you’re voting for and supporting right now because New York needs help, and we’re just not getting the help we need, and this is crazy.”
The NYPD confirmed to Fox News Tuesday that 45-year-old James Rizzo is in custody and charged with persistent sexual abuse, forcible touching, and assault in relation to the incident. Rizzo has 16 prior arrests.
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Lewis warned other women at the university to be careful and aware while walking around the city.
“That was honestly like the scariest experience of my life,” she said. “I never thought this was going to happen to me just cuz I’ve seen the stories, and I was like, oh that’s so scary, but having it actually happen now, it’s like oh my god.”
Fox News’ Jennifer Johnson contributed to this report.
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