NYPD Seeks Suspects in LES Bias Attacks

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Five women were attacked [on the Lower East Side], police say, and all the victims are Asian, but that’s not the only coincidence.

Police say the five assaults on Asian women took place over the last ten days within a nine-block area right near the Williamsburg Bridge.

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Police want to question two women captured by the surveillance video because they believe they may be the ones assaulting the victims. Police believe they are part of a gang of five, where the three men in the group watch the females commit the hate crimes.

The group was captured by surveillance cameras at 1:20 a.m. at the location of the first attack, in the Gompers Houses at 90 Pitt Street. The victim in that first assault on March 31 was a 50-year-old Asian woman.

Later the same day, at 9:20 p.m., police say a 60-year-old Asian woman was assaulted at the Baruch Houses, in the back of 577 FDR.

According to police, a 71-year-old Asian woman was then assaulted opposite 120 Baruch Drive, also at the Baruch Houses. And so was the next attack, on a 66-year-old Asian woman at 95 Baruch Drive.

The last attack, according to police, was on Monday in front of 247 Broadway at 11 p.m. The victim was a 68-year-old Asian woman.

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Police say the group physically assaults the women, but they don’t take any money or property.

Because all the victims are Asian, the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force has been called in to investigate.