Disclaimer: The article mentions details of violence.
A 20-year-old NYU student was violently attacked on Monday, December 1, 2025, while she was on her way to her morning class in Lower Manhattan. The video capturing the disturbing details of the attack shows that the altercation was unprovoked and sparked online outrage. The alleged attacker has been arrested.
In her statement, the victim, Amelia Lewis, explains that the attack occurred around 9:30 in the morning on Broadway, near 735 Broadway in Greenwich Village. She said that while she was walking towards her class, with her headphones on, a man apparently approached her from behind and slapped her. He first hit her on her buttocks, then on her head and then grabbed her hair. He then forcefully pushed her onto the ground. Lewis said that the impact threw her off, and her headphones also came off.
‼️BREAKING: Serial predator James Rizzo fresh out of prison for r*pe, arrested for shoving & groping NYU student Amelia Lewis on her way to class—smacked her butt, yanked her hair, slammed her down in broad daylight!
16 priors incl. targeting women. Released Sept ’25.
Victim:… pic.twitter.com/3Tinek4KVP
— i Expose Racists & Pedos (@SeeRacists) December 3, 2025
“I just really want to emphasize how not OK this is,” Lewis said in the testimony that was shared on social media. “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 described the assault as “the scariest experience of my life.”
The worst part of the attack was that it was in the crowd. There were bystanders there who were shocked to see the attack. It was a group of women who rushed to help Lewis after she hit the ground. The attacker was not afraid of people or of being caught.
Lewis posted the video that her friend got from the nearby liquor store’s security camera. She also forwarded the video to university security and local police.
The attacker was quickly identified as James Rizzo. He is a 45-year-old man with a long criminal history who was not counting on the security footage from stores close by.
Rizzo was taken into custody by the New York Police Department and was charged with persistent sexual abuse, forcible touching and assault.
Police report has revealed that Rizzo has 16 prior arrests, including an incident of sexual abuse, forcible touching, burglary and a 1997 attempted murder arrest. However, the arresting authorities did not confirm the last charge.
Rizzo was in prison till September for another persistent sexual abuse and was released on parole. However, after this incident, one can hope he will not be roaming the streets.
🇺🇸 SHOCKING NYC SIDEWALK ATTACK ON NYU STUDENT SPARKS OUTRAGE OVER CITY SAFETY🚨
NYU student Amelia Lewis, 20, was violently slapped and shoved to the ground by a vagrant in a random Manhattan attack caught on CCTV.
The suspect, described as a tall white male, was later… pic.twitter.com/4s3LN3bLiK
— Info Room (@InfoR00M) December 3, 2025
In a public statement, NYU has affirmed that university security will collaborate with NYPD in any manner required, and the university is doing its best to support Lewis.
This case has once again terrified students, especially female students, who are now more scared of their safety while commuting busy city streets.
“It was really disgusting to see that happen, because she was literally just like minding her business.”
Meanwhile, Lewis has called on city officials and leaders to reflect on public safety issues. “This just shows that you really need to reflect on who you’re voting for and supporting right now,” she said.
It was later revealed, Rizzo was living in student housing, in the same building as Amelia, in fact.
