Violent Vagrant with Troubling History Arrested for Assault on NYU Coed
A violent vagrant with a disturbing history of cowardly assaults on women has been arrested for attacking a 20-year-old NYU coed in an unprovoked incident on Monday morning. James Rizzo, a 45-year-old homeless man with 16 prior arrests, including charges for sexual abuse, forcible touching, and even a murder charge in 1997, was taken into custody on Tuesday evening for shoving college student Amelia Lewis to the ground as she walked to class in Lower Manhattan.
Rizzo now faces charges of persistent sexual abuse, forcible touching, and assault for the unprovoked attack on Lewis. He had been released from state prison in September after serving a two-year sentence for a persistent sexual abuse conviction.
The attack on Lewis occurred around 9:30 a.m. on Monday when Rizzo allegedly approached her from behind, slapped her buttocks, grabbed her hair, and threw her to the ground before fleeing the scene.
Following the attack, Lewis took to social media in a tearful video post to express her shock and outrage at the incident. She emphasized the need for action to prevent such occurrences in the city, stating that such behavior is unacceptable.
Rizzo’s criminal record includes a recent incident in which he allegedly groped a 33-year-old woman on Green Street in Manhattan, making lewd comments during the assault.
