In an apparent random act of violence, a 37-year-old man, Raquan El, allegedly attacked a pregnant woman by bashing her in the head in Chelsea, New York. El was charged with assault and has an extensive criminal record.
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According to the New York Post, the alleged attack was witnessed by Norman Ross, 61, and Matthew Malin, 35, on Tuesday, May 6. As they were walking to a local diner, they saw the violent act allegedly carried out by El on 18th Street, near 6th Avenue.
Out of nowhere, the suspect allegedly bashed the pregnant woman with a metal rod. The woman fell to the ground, screaming in agony, as per Ross. Both men then approached El, but they were shocked by his violent demeanor.
“The guy started threatening everybody, screaming ‘I’ll f–k you up! I’ll knock you out,'” Ross told the outlet. Despite him being a weightlifter and Malin being a martial artist, they were scared of El.
“Oh hell yeah, we were scared,” Ross said. “My friend is a 6-foot-6 MMA fighter, he’s a big, scary dude. But we’re not used to a crazy guy screaming and yelling with a metal pipe in our face.”
As the man continued to scream across 18th Street, the pregnant woman managed to get back on her feet, later running toward her apartment. Ross and Malin called the police and helped officers track down El, which they eventually did.
“There he was, holding his four-foot metal bar calmly walking down the street,” Ross said.
Arrested And Charged
Raquan El was arrested without incident and was charged with second-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon. According to police, he has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal trespassing, forcible touching, and burglary in the past.
The pregnant woman arrived at the 13th Precinct to identify the man. She was later transported to a local hospital, where he received treatment and remained in stable condition.
While the alleged attack didn’t escalate further, Norman Ross believes things are getting worse in the city.
“That’s what this city is becoming,” Ross said, saying that incidents like that didn’t happen when he was younger. “But bashing a poor pregnant woman in the head… No way.”