NYC man saves Queens woman attacked by random assailant: ‘shocked’

“Totally shocked”: Man saves Queens woman who was attacked by random assailant. (PIX11)

LONG ISLAND CITY, Queens (PHOTO 11) – A local woman is speaking out after she was randomly attacked by a woman while walking down the street in Queens a few days ago.

The woman described the horrific incident, which left her with wounds and bleeding on her face.

Runing Lao said she had just left Chipotle on Wednesday afternoon when she was walking down the street and a woman she had never met before started punching her and then hit her in the face with a broken umbrella.

“I definitely cried because I never thought something so dangerous could happen to me,” Lao said.

The shocking and unprovoked attack at the corner of Jackson and 43rd Avenue in Long Island City left Lao bruised and shaken. She wears bandages on her face to cover the bright red scars left by the attack when the woman allegedly attacked her out of the blue.

“I was just crossing the street and then suddenly a woman hit me for no reason and she … kept hitting me,” Lao said. “I screamed for help and then tried to defend myself with my umbrella.”

Lao says that in a desperate attempt to fend off the attacker with an umbrella, the woman snatched it from her, broke it in half and hit her in the face with it.

“I was just totally shocked and honestly I was frozen because I had my food in my left hand the whole time,” Lao said. “I had my bag on my right shoulder. I don’t really know what’s going on.”

She screamed for help, but despite the onlookers nearby, no one came to her aid. Just when hope seemed lost, a man she now calls her hero noticed the commotion and intervened. Jerome David lives nearby and said it was a no-brainer to step in and help. He held the woman until the police arrived.

“Here in New York, you see the craziest things, but you have to do one and two to really react and do something to prevent them – and that’s what we all should do,” David said.

Lao is now focused on her recovery, but says the emotional scars will take longer to heal than the physical ones. She is bravely speaking out about her horrific experience and hopes her story will shed light on her attack and encourage others to step in if they see someone in trouble.

The woman who police say attacked Lao has been identified as 34-year-old Arriana Garcia. She is now charged with assault with intent to cause injury and disturbing the peace.