92-year-old woman speaks out after being randomly attacked in NYC, suspect arrested

NEW YORK CITY, New York -- Police have arrested a suspect in a random attack on a 92-year-old woman in Manhattan, and the victim is speaking out about her harrowing ordeal.

Video shows the suspect walking down Third Avenue between 15th and 16th streets in Gramercy Park around 3:30 p.m. on June 12 when he suddenly hits the woman on the head and keeps walking.

"I'm frightened to tears," she said. "I'm not going to walk there on my own, and it's very upsetting. It's very upsetting."

The push caused the woman, a retired teacher who didn't want her name used, to fall on the ground and hit her head on a fire hydrant.

"I thought it was a brick or something like that," she said. "Hit me on the right scalp, on the right side of my head, and of course I fell down on the street. There were a couple of young women there. They helped me up. They said, 'I'm going to call an ambulance.'"

She's still bruised but otherwise OK after the routine walk to the drug store ended with a trip to the ER. She credits her good health for making it home, where she intends to stay for the time being.

"I've felt very safe in the city, and now, forget it," she said. "I'm afraid to go out."

Neighbors who watched the video were in disbelief.

"That guy should be caught and have his arms broken off," one said.

"That's horrible," added another. "You shouldn't do that...that's crazy. How do you do that? How do you do that?"

Police said later Tuesday that a suspect had been taken into custody.

The suspect, 31-year-old Rashid Brimmage, is charged with assault. He reportedly has more than 100 prior arrests and was recognized by a police officer who had seen the surveillance video.

Police say Brimmage is not only a career criminal, but a transit recidivist. He became a level 2 sex offender with a July 23, 2014 arrest for persistent sexual abuse.

His most recent arrest was March 9, for reportedly punching a 29-year-old man at a pizza shop in East Harlem. He received a desk appearance ticket.

In February, he allegedly punched a 39-year-old female at a Dunkin' Donuts in the Bronx, and then punched a 39-year-old man at the same donut shop.

He is also a suspect in a February grand larceny in the subway in East Harlem.