NYPD: Homeless man faces hate crime charges in attacks on 7 Asian women

A homeless man faces multiple hate crime charges in connection with attacks on seven Asian women over the weekend in Manhattan, officials said.

The arrest late Wednesday of Steven Zajonc, 28, came three days after the victims were either struck or elbowed within a span of two hours Sunday, police said. The attacks sparked fear and frustration in the city's Asian community and led to calls for a meeting with Mayor Eric Adams to discuss the attacks and the prevalence of homeless people in the area.

Zajonc was taken into custody at the famed New York Public Library building at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue after security staff there recognized him and called police, according to an NYPD spokesman.

The attacks began several blocks south on Sunday at Madison Avenue and 30th Street and ended about two hours later at Broadway and Eighth Street, police said.

None of the assaults were provoked and Zajonc said nothing to any of the victims beforehand, according to police.

Most of the women, who ranged in age from 19 to 57, sustained minor injuries, although one suffered bleeding to her lower lip after being elbowed in the mouth, the NYPD said.

Zajonc appeared to be "undomiciled," investigators said, but had a Florida driver's license issued in Sarasota. He made no statements during his arrest, according to the NYPD. Zajonc was charged with seven counts of third-degree assault as a hate crime, the NYPD spokesman said.

Arraignment information was pending as of late Thursday. One factor being watched closely by some law enforcement officials was whether Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will ask that bail conditions be set for Zajonc.

Earlier Thursday, Adams released a statement decrying the release on his own recognizance of a man accused of smearing feces on a woman waiting last week for a subway train in the Bronx, and also suspected in a bias attack on a Jewish man last September in Brooklyn.

In the statement, the mayor said the cases of the suspect, Frank Abrokwa, represented failed mental health and criminal justice systems that allowed someone with a history of violence, and who "poses a clear threat to public safety to just walk out of court."

Community leaders and Chinatown residents rallied Tuesday against the recent violence and urged Adams to meet with them to discuss it. Some rally attendees voiced concerns about the number of homeless shelters for such a small, densely packed area.

A city official familiar with a meeting Monday between Adams and members of the Asian community about crime overall and other issues said those who attended were asked to send a memo to Adams with additional concerns.

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell met with elected officials Thursday to address the concerns of Asian residents and discuss steps being taken by the department’s hate crimes task force, said NYPD spokesman Chief Kevin Maloney.

The spate of attacks Sunday have so far this year pushed the number of suspected bias crimes against Asians to 17, up from four at the same time last year, Maloney said.

Together with recent killings of Asian women in the city, the assaults have caused consternation and anger in the diverse Asian community.

"I really feel it is unsafe," said William Su, 73, a Chinatown businessman who immigrated 50 years ago from Myanmar and spoke at the Chinatown rally on Tuesday. "We arereally hoping the mayor can stop these crimes … it is time to get control."

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.com

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.