NYC woman, 26, repeatedly punched, knifed by stranger in ‘Darth Vader-like mask’ during morning Prospect Park jog: sources

A woman was subjected to a brutal and unprovoked attack in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park last week by an assailant wearing a “Darth Vader-like mask”, leaving her feeling “frustrated” about her safety in the city.

Avery Catherine Lorio, a 26-year-old dietician originally from Arkansas and more recently from California, recounted to police that she was jogging near the tennis courts on South Lake Drive around 5:15 a.m. on September 17 when a man approached her. He punched her multiple times and stabbed her in the back, according to sources.

“I heard a woman screaming in the park, but I figured it was far enough away that I was safe, so I didn’t turn back,” Lorio shared in a phone interview with The Post. “Then I saw him coming toward me, and he got too close for comfort.”

“I couldn’t tell if it was a girl or a guy; they were wearing an all-black mask reminiscent of Darth Vader. And then suddenly, I was being hit,” she explained.

“After several punches, I yelled at him to ‘F—k off, leave me alone,’ and he just ran away,” Lorio said.

According to reports, the attacker donned a disturbing face mask, along with a black hoodie and pants, before fleeing the scene after the assault.

Lorio didn’t discover that she had been stabbed until she noticed the blood and saw the wound on her back.

She independently sought treatment at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, where she had recently begun her job as a dietician, for her injury.

Initially, Lorio attempted to report the incident to the police the following day, but chose to wait as the authorities required hospital discharge papers documenting the stabbing—which would result in more serious criminal charges compared to simple assault, she explained.

After fearing she had misplaced the needed paperwork, she realized she could access her medical records through her employee credentials, confirming she was diagnosed with a “puncture wound.”

“I thought that would classify as a stabbing and help the police charge him more seriously if they apprehended him, or at least give them more motivation to track him down,” she said.

Lorio reported the assault in person at the NYPD’s 78th Precinct on the following Thursday.

Having lived in Brooklyn for about a year and a half, Lorio expressed that she enjoys running in the park at least once a week, as she lives approximately 30 minutes away. She plans to compete in the New York City Marathon in 2026.

The attack has led Lorio to adjust her routine, shifting her runs to the afternoon post-work instead of early mornings when it is darker. “It frustrates me that I feel unsafe, and I shouldn’t need to worry about that,” she shared.

“No one should be attacking others,” Lorio stated. “I just want to feel secure.”

As of Friday, there have been no arrests made in relation to the incident. Still, Lorio expressed gratitude for the support she has received from NYPD detectives working on the case.

“It’s challenging because we lack a clear description of the attacker aside from the mask,” Lorio noted. “We only know they had a mask on, making it difficult to identify them.”

“I hope they catch him so that this doesn’t happen again. I want to continue to run at 5 in the morning if I choose. I want to live my life freely—that’s my hope,” Lorio concluded.