Woman Fights Back Against Christmas Eve Mugger
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Manhattan woman decided to fight back when she was attacked by a mugger on Christmas Eve.
She held onto her purse as the attacker dragged her down the street before slashing her with a box cutter.
CBS2's Valerie Castro spoke with the victim who did not wish to be identified.
"I was bleeding profusely, I was bleeding from my face, I was bleeding from my arm, my jacket was covered in blood," she said.
The battle wounds are evident all over her body.
The attack occurred on Christmas Eve around 10:30 at night when she was walking down a path between 61st and 62nd Street near 1st Avenue.
She says the ambush came from behind while she was distracted.
"I was walking home and I was listening to music and all of a sudden I felt someone pull my hood up over my head," she said. "I think it clicked what was happening to me because someone pulled at my purse."
Rather than let go, she was determined to hang on and was dragged several feet until she was stabbed in the hand and forced to drop the purse.
She still didn't give up and continued to run after her attacker.
"When I caught up to him, we were tugging back and forth," she said. "Eventually when he punched me I went flying."
At that point the woman was left with a fractured arm and countless injuries -- not to mention the holiday evening was already emotionally tough due to a recent divorce.
"I don't know if that made me more vulnerable or if that made me want to fight back more," she said. "Probably a combination of the two."
Common advice would be to not fight back, but this victim hopes her tenacity makes the attacker think twice about going after someone else.
