MANHATTAN, NYC- A woman from Hoboken, New Jersey, was apprehended by authorities on Sunday following an unprovoked assault on an elderly woman outside a pizza joint in Manhattan, according to law enforcement officials. The suspect, identified as 52-year-old Ola Albanni, is accused of using a knife to attack a 65-year-old woman on Friday evening in Midtown Manhattan.
The incident reportedly occurred just after 6 p.m. outside 2 Bros Pizza on Eight Avenue and West 38th Street. Albanni is said to have approached the unsuspecting victim and slashed her face with a large kitchen knife. The victim was left with a severe cut beneath her eye and was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment. She was later discharged after receiving care.
Following the attack, Albanni allegedly fled the scene. Police were able to identify her from security footage that showed her walking on a crowded street, dressed in a black fur coat, a matching bucket hat, pink shorts, and buckled shoes. She was seen reaching into a pair of shopping bags she was carrying.
Albanni is now facing charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon. However, the motive behind the attack remains a mystery, leaving authorities and the public puzzled.
This incident is part of a disturbing trend of increasing knife attacks in New York City. The city has seen a significant rise in such incidents on its streets and subways in 2023. NYPD data reveals a 26% increase in knife attacks since 2019. As of August 13, the city has recorded 3,365 non-fatal knife attacks since the start of the year, along with a shocking 53 fatal attacks.