She is expected to be OK, and was too shaken to speak.
A 61-year-old man pleaded not guilty to assault and weapons charges for stabbing a tourist in the chest as she walked down a sidewalk in one of the busiest parts of midtown Manhattan, the district attorney announced.
Cyril Destin was indicted Monday on assault, attempted assault and weapon possession charges in the May 11 attack on a 36-year-old woman near the Port Authority Bus Terminal, on the corner of West 43rd Street and Eighth Avenue.
Surveillance video showed Destin sitting on his walker outside a bodega just after 6 p.m. He then stood up and took out a large kitchen knife as the woman walked by him, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said. As she passed him, Destin lunged toward the victim, sinking the weapon into her chest.
After the incident, Destin sat back down on his walker, still holding the knife. The victim stumbled around, stunned from what just happened. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital where she was treated for her injuries.
Destin was taken into custody shortly after.
The Manhattan DA's office said the woman was visiting the city with her daughter on a school trip.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
“When tourists visit New York, they deserve to enjoy our city without fearing for their safety. Cyril Destin jeopardized that by allegedly stabbing a woman who was visiting with her daughter and her daughter’s friend for a school trip,” said Bragg. “I hope the victim continues to heal from this unprovoked attack.”
