Hate crime suspect arrested after Asian woman punched twice in face in front of daughter, 7. They were on way to rally against violence toward Asians.

A 27-year-old man has been arrested and charged with a hate crime in connection to a physical attack against an Asian American woman while she was on her way to a rally against violence toward Asians, New York City police told WABC-TV.

What are the details?

The station spoke to the 37-year-old victim who didn't want to give her name. She was on her way to the rally in Union Square on Sunday morning with her 7-year-old daughter when she said the suspect approached her and asked for her sign, WABC reported.

She thought he also was heading to the rally, so she gave the sign to him — after which he began to tear it up and stuff it in a trash can, she told the station. When she confronted the man, he responded by punching her twice in the face, WABC said.

Image source: WABC-TV video screenshot

"He was destroying the sign and trying to put it in the trash can, so I walked forward and toward him saying, 'What are you doing?' And he just came in front of me and punched me in the face, and then I think I stopped for a little bit, and then I chased him," the mother told WABC. "And there were some people around as well, and I just wanted to get him and call the police."

The woman's face was cut and bruised in the attack, and she also sprained her ankle, the station said, adding that she was on crutches during her interview with WABC.

What happened next?

The station said several good Samaritans ran after the man into the Astor Place subway and were able to take photos of him.

Image source: WABC-TV video screenshot

"When you see something like that happening, it is your job to make sure they are seen and being heard," witness DeVonn Francis told WABC.

Image source: WABC-TV video screenshot

Witnesses also told the station that the suspect appeared emotionally disturbed before getting away on a train.

"He also flashed people on the train platform," Francis told WABC. "He dropped his underwear and showed his genitalia to everyone on the platform."

NYPD officials said Erick Deoliveira was arrested and charged with hate crime assault and criminal mischief as a hate crime, the station reported, adding that he's homeless.

While shaken up following the attack, the victim told WABC that "Asians need to stay strong, but we still love this country, we still love the city, and this is our home."

Anything else?

The NYPD noted that there have been 23 anti-Asian hate crimes this year compared to 29 during all of 2020, the station said.

WABC reported that over the weekend a 66-year-old man was punched in Chinatown and a 54-year-old woman was struck in the face with a metal pipe by a man who reportedly yelled, "I came here to [expletive] up Asians." Elias Guerrero, 38, was apprehended at the scene of the latter incident and is charged with assault as a hate crime, resisting arrest, harassment, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of controlled substance, the station said.

In addition, a witness said an attacker yelled "you motherf***ing Asian" at a 68-year-old man before punching him in the face Friday on a New York City subway train.

Also a man urinated on an Asian woman aboard a Queens-bound subway train over the weekend, police told the New York Post.