NYC woman suffers broken jaw when randomly punched while walking down street

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn (PIX11) – A Brooklyn woman suffered a broken jaw when a stranger randomly punched her while she was walking down the street Tuesday.

The unprovoked, caught-on-video attack happened in broad daylight at Grand Avenue and Dean Street in Crown Heights.

Dulce Pichardo, 57, was walking down the sidewalk when out of nowhere she was punched in the face. The blow was so intense it caused Pichardo to stumble backward several feet, the video shows.

“He just punched me on the right side here, very strong,” Pichardo told PIX11 News on Thursday.

She said her attacker never said a word.

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“I was surprised. I said, ‘What’s going on? Why did you hit me? Why did you do it?’ I didn’t do anything. No reason to hit me,” Pichardo said.

Pichardo’s brother owns a restaurant across the street and was able to chase down his sister’s attacker. The suspect, 33-year-old Franz Jeudy, was arrested and charged with assault, police said.

Pichardo’s jaw has been wired shut as a result of the punch. Three of her teeth were knocked out and she has nerve damage. She’s also lost feeling in her lips and currently has to drink her food from a straw.

Beyond her injuries, Pichardo said what has affected her the most is her fear. She hopes New York City leaders will do more to make sure people are safe just walking down a street.

“I don’t want this happening again. I want New York to do something about this. They have to stop this. It’s not fair,” Pichardo said.

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