A 4-year-old boy was randomly punched in the head in Times Square, and police say the suspect has an extensive criminal record, with multiple arrests this year alone.
The incident occurred shortly before 3:30 pm Thursday at the corner of 46th Street and Seventh Avenue. Police said a 43-year-old woman and her 4-year-old young son were in Times Square when an alleged assailant approached them and, without warning, hit the boy on the head.
The boy suffered pain and bruising to his head, but his mother refused to give him medical treatment.
Two Good Samaritans held the suspect, Babacar Mbaye, until the police arrived and arrested him. Upon being detained, the individual resisted arrest and kicked the officer in the leg. He faces charges of assault and resisting arrest, among other charges.
Mbaye has 40 prior arrests on his record, including four arrests this year alone, a New York City Police spokesperson told our sister network. News 4.
The case is likely to become another example in the heated debate over bail reform in New York. Some of the city’s highest-profile crimes this year were committed by people with multiple open court cases, including the murder of a woman in Chinatown last week.
The suspect in that case, Assamad Nash, had three open court cases for subway crimes, including assault, at the time he allegedly murdered Christina Yuna Lee.
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