A late Saturday bus ride in the East Village turned violent on Feb. 24 when an unidentified attacker followed two young riders off an M14 crosstown bus and allegedly struck an 18-year-old woman in the head with a construction hard hat near East 10th Street and Avenue C, according to police. A 19-year-old man who was with her tried to chase the assailant, but the suspect pulled a knife and then bolted, officers said.
NYPD Crime Stoppers says the confrontation unfolded at about 11:50 p.m. inside the 9th Precinct area, shortly after the pair stepped off the M14. According to the department’s description, the suspect hit the 18-year-old woman with the hard hat, then brandished a knife when the 19-year-old man gave chase, before fleeing the scene.
Where police say it happened
The intersection of East 10th Street and Avenue C falls within the NYPD’s 9th Precinct, which covers the East Village from East Houston Street up to East 14th Street, according to the precinct’s own overview. City planning and transit records show the M14 line runs across that corridor, including sections of Avenue C near East 10th Street, which tracks with the department’s account that the victims had just gotten off that bus route.
How to report tips
NYPD Crime Stoppers is offering up to $3,500 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case and urges anyone with information to call 1-800-577-TIPS or submit a tip online, according to the program’s guidelines. The program also lists a Spanish-language tip line at 1-888-57-PISTA and provides an internet form for anonymous submissions.
Police renewed their public appeal on March 20, posting a fresh wanted alert and asking for witnesses or any video related to the Feb. 24 attack, per the Crime Stoppers notice. As of that update, no arrest had been announced, and investigators continue to ask nearby residents and fellow riders who might have relevant footage or details to come forward to help move the case along.
