NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Police arrested a man Wednesday in connection with a hate-fueled assault spree in which seven Asian women were punched or elbowed in Manhattan over a span of about two hours on Sunday.
Steven Zajonc, a 28-year-old from Manhattan, faces a string of charges, including seven counts of assault as a hate crime, seven counts of attempted assault as a hate crime, seven counts of aggravated harassment and seven counts of harassment.
Zajonc's arrest came hours after the NYPD released surveillance video Wednesday of a suspect as the department’s Hate Crime Task Force investigated the string of assaults, which left all of the victims with minor injuries.
Police said the spree started around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, when the suspect punched a 57-year-old woman in the face at Madison Avenue and E. 30th Street.
He then zigzagged through the Flatiron, Gramercy and Union Square to Houston Street, punching or elbowing women along the way, police said.
A 25-year-old woman was punched in the face at Fifth Avenue and E. 30th Street at 6:40 p.m.; a 21-year-old woman was punched in the face at Park Avenue and E. 23rd Street at 6:45 p.m.; a 25-year-old woman was punched in the face at Irving Place and E. 17th Street at 6:50 p.m.; a 19-year-old woman was elbowed in the face at Union Square East and E. 17th Street at 7:05 p.m.; and a 25-year-old woman was elbowed in the mouth at East Houston Street and Mott Street at 7:25 p.m.
The last reported assault was just after 8:30 p.m., when police said the man shoved a 20-year-old woman to the ground at Eighth Street and Broadway.
All of the victims are women of Asian descent, police said.
State Sen. John Liu told 1010 WINS that he’s shocked but not surprised.
“After two years of these unabated hate crimes and attacks against Asian Americans, it’s still no less shocking,” Liu said.
Anti-Asian hate crimes spiked over 350% in the city last year and have continued into 2022.
Liu is pushing for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history to be taught in New York schools to counter feelings that Asians are foreigners.
“These are the kinds of perceptions and stereotypes that continue and almost allow somebody to attack Asian Americans,” the senator said.
Liu also wants more funding to provide security for Asian Americans.
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