A girl was approached by a woman in the East Village earlier this month, and according to investigators, the woman spat at the child before her parents could fully pull her away. The unidentified woman then fled on foot, and eleven days later, the NYPD is still asking the public for help finding her.
The incident happened at approximately 10:55 a.m. on September 10 near East 4th Street between First and Second Avenues, within the boundaries of the 9th Precinct, according to a wanted notice NYPD Crime Stoppers posted to Facebook. Investigators say the woman attempted to engage the girl before spitting at her, and police said the child’s parents attempted to pull their daughter away from the woman during the encounter. The NYPD has classified the case as endangering the welfare of a child and is now seeking the public’s help identifying the woman.
Police did not report any physical injuries to the girl, but that hasn’t stopped detectives from pursuing the case as a criminal matter.
Why Injuries Aren’t the Legal Threshold
Under New York Penal Law § 260.10, endangering the welfare of a child is a Class A misdemeanor, according to New York State Senate statute records. Prosecutors don't need to prove the girl suffered actual physical harm to bring the charge. Under Penal Law § 260.10(1), the standard is simply whether someone knowingly acted in a way likely to injure a child's physical, mental, or moral welfare, per legal guidance compiled by New York court records and JLP Law.
Nearly a decade earlier, in March 2017, Manhattan police arrested a woman known in the neighborhood as the Upper East Side “Spitting Lady” after she spat on a child, an incident that followed years of resident complaints, according to a Daily News report shared by former City Council member Ben Kallos.
Citywide, NYPD CompStat data through mid-September shows major felony crime down 6.32% compared to the same period last year. The data indicates that major felony crime is trending downward across New York City.
How to Submit a Tip
The NYPD is asking anyone with information to come forward, and tips can be submitted anonymously through the NYPD Crime Stoppers website or via @NYPDTips on X. Callers can reach the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), while Spanish-speaking callers can dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The woman fled the scene on foot, and the investigation is ongoing.
