An Italian tourist was stabbed in the hand by a stranger while walking near Times Square on Saturday morning, according to police and law enforcement sources. The victim is reportedly Paolo Rech, a 42-year-old computer science professor at the University of Trento, who was attacked by a woman on Madison Avenue, a major thoroughfare in the heart of the city.
According to New York Police Department sources, the woman was armed with a “sharp object” when she struck Rech around 10:40 a.m. in front of 237 Madison Ave, between 37th and 38th Streets, about three blocks from Times Square.
“I was just walking past her, and suddenly she turned around and stabbed me,” Rech explained.
“I was shocked, then I looked at her and saw she was still staring at a Wi-Fi kiosk, completely absorbed. I thought, ‘Okay, let’s just walk away,'” the academic told ABC News.
The attacker is described as a woman in her thirties, about 5’7″ tall. At the time of the attack, she was wearing a black jacket, a purple sweater, black pants, and white and black sneakers.
In the hours following the assault, the NYPD instructed officers to “proceed with caution” and quickly call for reinforcements if the suspect is spotted.
The details of the attack bear some resemblance to another incident that occurred Wednesday, when a Danish tourist was slashed in the face on the Upper West Side. The suspect, 25-year-old Joshua Zinberg, has been charged with attempted murder and assault.
According to police, Rech did not seek medical treatment after the attack. In an interview with U.S. media, he also stated that he “loves New York City,” and that “nothing can change that.”
