Graphic footage of a hatchet wielding man attacking another accessing an ATM inside a Chase Bank vestibule has gone viral on social media. The incident took place on Broadway near Beaver Street in Lower Manhattan on Sunday evening.
While the identity of the attacker has not been revealed by the authorities, the victim was identified as 51-year-old Miguel Soslorzana. He was taken to the Bellevue Hospital where he is being treated for injuries in the intensive care unit.
Attacker Leaves Behind Blood-Soaked Hatchet
The 54-second graphic clip begins with Solorzana seen standing near an ATM machine inside the vestibule. The attacker, dressed in T-shirt and denim, is seen entering the arena with a hatchet in his right hand. Before entering the vestibule, he places a dark colored backpack outside.
Suddenly he launches an attack on the unsuspecting victim, hitting him repeatedly with the hatchet as he tries to escape the blows. Soon the victim is covered in blood as some is spilled on the floor too. However, this does not stop the attacker, who continues with the sharp blows of the hatchet.
Done with beating the victim, the attacker then goes on to break the screens of the cash-dispensing ATM machines before he casually throws the hatchet on the ground. He leaves the vestibule leaving behind the blood covered hatchet and his backpack.
Attacker Arrested by the Police
Speaking to the New York Post in the hospital, Solorzana said "A man was there with a hatchet and [hit] my head ... and my leg."
Law enforcement sources told the outlet that the police caught the suspect, a 37-year-old man. He was smashing car windows near 19th Street and Seventh Avenue when officers in a 10th Precinct patrol car spotted him, the sources revealed.
The incident drew a lot of reactions on social media. "ALWAYS pay attention to what is going on around you. Prejudge every person that comes near you when you're along. He didn't even take the bag the man dropped. He went in there to attack him or the machines? What a disgusting human he is. He doesn't even deserve to be alive," tweeted a user.
"The pattern of violent crime continues," wrote a user as another added, "This is the financial district which was always considered a safe part of the city."
"Move to the country. The life is better there. NY is like North Korea... an interesting place to visit as part of a guided tour," another tweet read.
