New York City man charged in connection to hate crime spree against Asian women

• A 28-year-old man was arrested in connection to a two-hour hate crime spree against Asian women in NYC.
• He faces a total of 28 charges.

A 28-year-old New York City man was arrested Wednesday in connection to a string of hate crimes against seven Asian women in the city, according to the New York City Police Department.

The two-hour spree of hate crimes, carried out last Sunday, has drawn attention to the larger problem of violence against Asian women in the city and across the country over the past couple years, particularly since the start of the pandemic.

Steven Zajonc is accused of punching, shoving, elbowing, and otherwise physically assaulting seven Asian women of various ages throughout the city between 6:30 p.m. and 8:40 p.m. on February 27, the NYPD told Insider in an emailed statement. The police obtained video footage depicting the suspected assailant.

Authorities have charged Zajonc with seven counts each of hate crime assault, attempted hate crime assault, aggravated harassment, and harassment.

Zajonc, whose address is registered at a drop-in shelter, attempted to barricade himself inside of the New York Public Library before his arrest, according to WNBC.

The local outlet reported that he was taken to the 7th precinct, the headquarters for the NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force.