A Filipino tourist from Cebu was “violently assaulted” near the Philippine Center in Manhattan, the Philippine Consulate General in New York reported Saturday.
Consul General Elmer Cato said the 18-year-old was walking with three other Filipinos near the corner of 6th Avenue and 46th Street Wednesday when he was attacked.
He sustained “facial injuries” from the assault while the suspect was eventually “subdued and turned over” to authorities.
“In view of this incident, the Consulate reminds members of the Filipino Community, as well as kababayan visiting New York to exercise the necessary precautions while on the streets or in the subways,” Cato said.
This is the 41st incident since last year involving a Filipino who was either a victim of a hate crime or a criminal act, Cato said. Most of these incidents occurred in New York.
“The Consulate is in touch with the New York City Police Department to get more information on the incident. It is unknown at this point if the incident was anti-Asian-hate-related,” he added.
Last month, a Filipino lawyer who was shot on the way to a Philadelphia airport succumbed to his injuries.
John Albert “Jal” Laylo and his mother, Leah, were onboard an Uber on their way to the airport to catch their flight to Chicago when still unknown suspects shot their vehicle from behind. Leah survived the attack.
Forbes.com earlier released a report that 22 mass shootings have taken place in the US this year as of June 10.
A massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas on May 24 was the deadliest so far with 19 children and two teachers killed.
Mass shootings of any kind also experienced a peak in 2021, with 77 recorded by Gun Violence Archive, Forbes wrote.