A man has been taken into custody after a string of alleged assaults on three women in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. Jacob Narvaez, 22, is facing charges of assault and harassment following these incidents, which all occurred within a short time span on Monday night.
The first reported incident took place at around 9:25 p.m. on Heyward Street near Lee Avenue, where Narvaez is accused of slapping a 19-year-old woman on the buttocks, as reported by the New York Post. Shortly following the first assault, at approximately 9:30 p.m., it's alleged that Narvaez attacked two more women on Bedford Avenue, hitting one on the back of the head and scratching another.
The incidents have caused concern among residents, especially considering their proximity to a local yeshiva where the latter assaults occurred, underscoring the randomness and brazen nature of the attacks. PIX11 News notes that Narvaez was apprehended near Lynch Street and Marcy Avenue at around 10:15 p.m.
One of the victims, Rachel Paskes, recounted her harrowing experience to The New York Post, saying "He came from the back without me seeing anything. The hit was so hard, I didn’t know what I was feeling." Paskes also detailed the aftermath, disclosing that "My phone went dead from the force of the slap. That’s how hard he hit....My ear became numb and red."
The arrest of Jacob Narvaez was captured on video, which was posted by Williamsburg 365 News and shows the NYPD and the Williamsburg Shomrim Safety Patrol at the scene. This series of assaults happens on the heels of another recent incident, where Anthony Caines, 45, allegedly spat on three women in the same neighborhood, inciting community concern over these continued acts of violence against women.
