Midtown 7-11 Worker Punched In Anti-Asian Assault; Suspect Sought

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Police are searching for a man accused of punching a worker at a Midtown convenience store last weekend while making anti-Asian statements, continuing the pattern of such attacks in recent weeks.

The assault happened just before 6 a.m. Saturday, when the victim, a 26-year-old man, was working inside the 7-11 store on Eighth Avenue and West 39th Street.

The suspect, who has not been identified, began yelling at the worker and then punched him in the face multiple times, police said. During the assault, he yelled, "You Chinese motherf---er," according to reports.

Police initially declined to classify the assault as a hate crime, saying the argument stemmed from a previous dispute over a theft, but by Sunday it was being investigated as a bias crime, the New York Post reported.

On Tuesday, police released surveillance footage of the assault showing the suspect, identified as a dark-skinned man with medium build, black hair and facial hair. He was last seen wearing a brown jacket over a gray hoodie with a yellow, lettered patch in front, black pants and black sneakers.

Police asked anyone with information about the incident to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). People can also submit tips online or on Twitter, @NYPDTips.

The assault happened just a few blocks from the site of last Monday's attack on a 65-year-old Filipino woman, who was beaten to the ground by 38-year-old Brandon Elliot, according to police. A fundraiser for the victim, Vilma Kari, had raised nearly $250,000 by Tuesday.