NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A father was sucker-punched in the face by a man as he walked with his family in Central Park this week, according to a report.
The 38-year-old victim told WABC that he was with his wife and 5-year-old son by the Hernshead rocks, near Central Park West and W. 75th Street, on Saturday afternoon when the three of them were approached by a man who was pacing and muttering to himself.
The man whispered something sexual to the wife and then followed and continued bothering the family before cornering them near the lake and sucker-punching the father in the face, according to the report.
The victim, who is Asian American, said he wasn't sure if race was a motivation for the attack.
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"It's hard to tell if this was motivated by race, however we believe that we were targeted, and whether it's through the fetishes of Asian women in general and sort of the stereotypes they carry, we believe that it's worth it for us to speak up," he said.
Police told WABC that there was no evidence of a hate crime, but an investigation is ongoing. The NYPD has a photo of the suspect but has not yet released it.
