NYU Student Posts Assault Footage, Sparks Quick Arrest

The article reports on a New York University student who was attacked walking to class, posted surveillance footage to expose the assault, and helped prompt police action that led to an arrest; it recounts the student’s account, the role of campus and police investigators, and the charges brought against the suspect. The piece includes direct quotes from the student and an official NYU statement, and preserves the surveillance and social embeds shared publicly.

A female NYU student was walking to a morning class when someone grabbed her from behind, struck her, and forced her to the ground. She refused to stay silent and later published surveillance footage to make the incident public. That footage drew attention from fellow students, university officials, and local police. Her decision to post the video is credited with pushing the investigation forward.

In videos posted by NYU’s Amelia Lewis on her , the student shares the details of what happened on Monday on her way to class when someone came up behind her, hit her, and then yanked her to the ground.

“When I turned around, I saw this old, White guy and, like right when I turned around, he like grabbed my [  ….] hair like this and like yanked me and threw me to the ground,” Lewis said. She described the attack as sudden and disorienting, and said she was left shaken but determined to seek accountability. Her best friend obtained surveillance footage from a nearby liquor store and passed it along to NYU, which in turn shared it with the NYPD. That footage became central to identifying a suspect and corroborating her account.

Lewis said the man accused of the assault is suspected of similar attacks on young women near the campus, and she warned others to stay alert. She noted that the footage contains profanity because she was clearly shaken, but she wanted the public to see exactly what happened. “I just really want to emphasize how not OK this is. I am a student at NYU. I should not be scared to be walking the street to go to my 9:30 a.m. class,” she said. She added that hearing reports of a previous incident made the experience feel even more threatening to the campus community.

“I’m honestly still in shock, but I’m more enraged that things like this are able to happen in this city and we really need to do something about it because this is unacceptable,” she added. “This just shows that you really need to reflect on who you’re voting for and supporting right now because New York needs help, and we’re just not getting the help we need, and this is crazy.”

“That was honestly like the of my life,” Lewis continued. “I never thought this was going to happen to me just ‘cuz I’ve seen the stories, and I was like, oh that’s so scary, but having it actually happen now, it’s like oh my god. You need to be aware at all times.” Her candor captured the fear and anger many students feel when public safety seems uncertain on busy city sidewalks.

The University is deeply disturbed by the attack on one of its female students that took place yesterday morning on a Broadway sidewalk. We take this incident very seriously; we are offering support to the student, and NYU’s Campus Safety Department is working with the police in investigating the incident.

The incident was reported to our Department of Campus Safety yesterday afternoon. The department’s victim services unit promptly reached out to the student; they have assisted her in connecting with detectives from the local precinct. Campus Safety investigators are looking through video footage from NYU cameras to see if there is additional footage that can be provided to the police to help identify and track down the assailant.

Campus officials say they acted to support the student and to assist law enforcement as the investigation continued. Police described responding to a 911 call of an assault in front of a Broadway address and being informed that a young woman had been approached from behind, struck, and pulled by the hair before the attacker fled. The NYPD later identified a person of interest and took that individual into custody as inquiries moved forward.

A short time after the initial reporting, Lewis shared news that the NYPD had arrested a suspect, identified as a 45-year-old man. The department released a statement detailing the incident and the charges brought against the arrested individual. Those charges include persistent sexual abuse, forcible touching, and assault, reflecting the seriousness of the allegations and the focus of the criminal case.

Lewis’s choice to publicize the footage and her own account helped ensure the episode did not disappear into the background noise of campus incidents. She reported the crime, worked with university victim services, and allowed the footage to be used in the investigation. Her actions highlight how victims and witnesses can play a role in prompting official response and moving a case into the hands of authorities.

The case remains under active investigation as detectives follow leads and sift through available footage to determine whether there are additional incidents linked to the same suspect. Local law enforcement and campus safety units continue to coordinate and review camera material to locate any other evidence that can help identify patterns or additional victims. Meanwhile, students and residents are being reminded to stay alert and to report suspicious behavior to authorities immediately.

From the police account: On Monday, December 1, 2025, at approximately 0922 hours, police responded to a 911 call of an assault in front of 735 Broadway within the confines of the 6th Precinct. Upon arrival, officers were informed an unidentified individual approached a 20-year-old female from behind, slapped her head, slapped her buttocks, and pulled her hair. The individual fled the location in an unknown direction. The investigation remains ongoing.

Pursuant to an ongoing investigation, the following individual was arrested and charged on December 2, 2025, in the confines of the 6th Precinct:

Arrested:

Rizzo, James

45 year old male

Charges:

Persistent Sexual Abuse

Forcible Touching

Assault

Lewis’s decision to go public with the footage and her experience encouraged others to pay attention and pushed the story into an official investigation. Her courage in reporting and sharing evidence shows one way communities can respond when confronting street assaults and threats to public safety.