Philadelphia police are investigating an attack on a 27-year-old Asian American woman in Center City on Sunday.
The attack occurred at about 2 p.m. local time Sunday, and surveillance footage captured a man approaching two women walking near 11th and Filbert streets, a local ABC affiliate reported.
Footage showed the man struck one of the women and walked away from the scene.
A witness whose surveillance camera caught the moment said he heard an “eerie scream” that prompted him to look at his camera.
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An ambulance transported the victim to Jefferson University Hospital, where she’s listed in stable condition, officials said.
Authorities said the attack was random, adding that the attacker was a homeless man and that they did not suspect a racial motivation. An investigation is in progress with the city’s Central Detectives Division.
Buu Ly, owner of Bar-Ly, which is located nearby, told WPVI-TV, “When you see a grown person hitting a woman, it’s just disturbing. It’s very disturbing.”
He added that the incident was upsetting due to the growing trend of anti-Asian attacks across the country.
Mark Squilla, a Democratic representative of the city’s 1st District, said he has received growing reports about the lack of safety in the area.
“Get our streets back, so people feel safe again because, right now, they do not feel safe because they think the lawlessness is running rampant throughout the city,” said Squilla.
A Philadelphia Police Department crime map shows more than 388 crimes have been reported between Lombard Street and Race Street near Center City in the past 30 days.
Additionally, the rate of annual homicide victims was up 29% on April 5 compared to stats from the same date in 2020. The city reported 499 homicides throughout last year, and victim numbers have been growing annually since 2013.
Crimes against Asian Americans spiked 150% throughout 2020, coinciding with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019, leading some high-profile people, including former President Donald Trump, to call it the “China virus.”
