A man accused of slapping two children, including a toddler, during a shocking incident on the High Line, was arrested on Thursday.
Rammy Lopez, a 32-year-old from Brooklyn, allegedly struck a 7-year-old boy while he was walking with his 3-year-old sister and a babysitter around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the boy’s mother, who chose to remain anonymous.
“They were heading to the Whitney Museum on the High Line,” she recounted in a phone interview with The Post. “What my son told me was that the man approached and hit him in the mouth with his phone.”
“He exclaimed, ‘Don’t you dare do that again’ or something similarly nonsensical,” the boy’s mother stated. “He just hit him and walked away.”
The babysitter ensured the visibly shaken child was “safe and calm” before reaching out to his mother, who hurried from her workplace in Brooklyn.
“He seemed okay, though he was sobbing quite intensely,” she shared. “It’s terrifying, honestly.”
“He mentioned that his jaw hurt and that one of his teeth was feeling loose, but he was more shocked than physically hurt,” she continued.
Shortly after striking the boy, Lopez allegedly hit a 2-year-old girl while she sat with her father, leading to visible swelling and bruises on the child who was visiting from Israel with her dad.
Lopez, described by sources as an “emotionally disturbed person,” fled the scene, evading capture until police apprehended him in Brownsville Thursday morning.
He has been charged with two counts of felony assault, as reported by law enforcement.
The mother of the older child expressed her gratitude towards the police, commending their response and efforts. “The police were fantastic,” she noted. “They reassured us they would locate him, and they followed through.”
Lopez’s previous arrest in late August was for forcible touching in Manhattan, according to sources and public records. He had been released on his own recognizance following that incident.
“We need better systems in place to provide support for individuals as they re-enter society, ensuring they receive the mental health assistance they require,” the boy’s mother suggested.
She added that maintaining safety for children in the city can be incredibly challenging: “I’m a petite woman, and my son is nearly my height. How do you ensure their safety? It feels impossible to protect them from every danger out there.”
