Why was an NYC sucker punch suspect released without bail?
BROOKLYN - The suspect accused of randomly punching a woman in the face last week in Brooklyn pleaded not guilty to assault and harassment charges and was released without bail.
Franz Jeudy, 33, was quickly apprehended following the incident on Tuesday near Atlantic and Grand Avenues in Prospect Heights.
The attack left 57-year-old Dulce Pichardo with a broken jaw. So, why was Jeudy released? And why is this not bail-eligible?
Why was the suspect set free?
According to the New York Post, Jeudy was set free by a judge on supervised release after he was slapped with misdemeanor charges of third-degree assault, attempted assault and harassment — all non-bail-eligible offenses. He is set to face a judge again in May.
"He’s not supposed to be free," Pichardo told the Post. "They know that he’s dangerous. You cannot have these people outside that are that dangerous."
According to New York State law, "a person is guilty of Assault in the Third Degree when, with intent to cause physical injury to another person, he or she causes such injury to that person.
Second-degree assault counts are handed out when "that person intentionally causes stupor, unconsciousness, or other physical impairment or injury to another by administering to such other person, without his or her consent, a drug, substance, or preparation capable of producing the same," according to NY Courts.
Jeudy has prior arrests for two other random punch attacks, including one on a law enforcement officer and the other on a security guard, the Post reported.
Both of the misdemeanor assaults were later dismissed in August 2019 after Jeudy, who has an apparent history of schizophrenia, was found unfit to stand trial, the Post reported.
What happened to Pichardo?
Pichardo was left with a broken jaw after being punched in the face last Tuesday in Prospect Heights, the NYPD said.
According to police, the man walked up to Pichardo and punched her with a closed fist. Pichardo shared her story with FOX 5 NY, speaking through wires in her mouth. She said she was on her way home from work when it happened.
"As soon as I passed, he hit me very strongly … he didn’t say anything," she told FOX 5 NY's Stephanie Bertini.
Along with a broken jaw, Pichardo said she was also left with missing teeth with permanent nerve damage.
"I was bleeding a lot. It hurts, I knew something was broken because I feel it," she said.
Pichardo is currently recovering with a wire in her mouth and will likely need surgery.
It's still unclear at the time what led up to the attack.
"That’s why I am here telling my story – I don’t want this to happen again," Pichardo said.
Women being punched in NYC?
The attack comes as several women have shared stories of being randomly punched while walking last week in New York City.
It's unclear whether this incidents is related to the other women's claims.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).