Officers arrested a homeless man who allegedly attacked an Asian woman in Philadelphia’s Center City area over the weekend.
“Police say the man walked up to the 27-year-old woman, struck her in the face and walked away without exchanging any words,” CBS Philly reported Monday.
Surveillance video showed the suspect approach two women on 11th Street at about 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
The suspect appeared to pull his hand out of his pocket, slap one of the women, then continue walking past them. The alleged victim stumbled backward as the other woman reached out to her.
Moments later, additional people stopped to check on the woman and one person flagged down police officers.
“Philadelphia police arrested 30-year-old Alex White about a block away from the incident. He is charged with simple assault and recklessly endangering another person,” the CBS article read.
Councilmember Mark Squilla represents the area’s first district which includes where the incident occurred.
“It seems like these two individuals, women, walking down the street just doing nothing but going to a destination and for whatever reason this person decides to walk up and then crack them right in the head. It is very disturbing to see that,” he commented.
Squilla added city officials need to work harder to help residents feel safe.
“There’s people, we have community meetings throughout my district, that say the number of things they’re saying is they don’t feel safe to go outside,” he noted.
“They feel like lawlessness is running rampant in the City of Philadelphia and it seems like there is no recourse for these actions,” Squilla continued.
Residents expressed their shock once they watched footage of the incident.
“I think it’s absolutely horrible,” Germantown resident Kathleen Dunn told CBS.
“It’s very, very disturbing,” said neighbor Alonda Davis, adding, “And it’s scary.”
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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