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NYPD: Woman Hit In Face With Metal Box In Apparent Hate Crime

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Police are searching for a suspect they say hit another woman in the face with a metal box.

It's being investigated as a possible hate crime.

Surveillance video from May 31 shows the suspect glance over her shoulder while strolling along Warren Street between Broadway and Greenwich in Tribeca.

"Boom! Hits this woman, who's got glasses on, hits her in the face. And she went down," witness Carol Martin told CBS2's Dave Carlin.

Tribeca hate crime
Police are searching for a suspect they say hit another woman in the face with a metal box. It's being investigated as a possible hate crime. (Credit: NYPD)

Martin said she saw the whole thing. She also said another woman had been clipped by the same box, possibly a make-up kit, a few steps earlier. That victim was overheard saying, "watch where you're going," causing the suspect to spew a long, loud string of profanity and hate as she kept walking, Carlin reported.

"She was talking, just talking filthy actually," said Martin.

Police said the suspect then struck the second victim, shouting "take that you white b****," followed by "that's what you get white b****."

Carlin spoke with the 57-year-old victim, a lawyer who lives in Midtown, by phone. She called it an unprovoked and shocking attack.

Residents said the bizarre crime is not unheard of these days.

"You see that all over. People are acting out," one woman said.

"A lot of people suffer from mental illness and they don't get help," said another.

The suspect was last seen heading west on Warren Street. People in the neighborhood hoping she's caught soon, for the public's sake and perhaps her own if she is in need of mental help.

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