New York City, NY: Two suspects have been apprehended in connection with distinct assaults, after the disclosure of personal experiences of several women who were struck in New York City this week.
It all began when Halley McGookin, also known as “Halley Kate,” a TikTok influencer, uploaded a heartfelt video on March 25th, detailing an assault that occurred in the vicinity of W 16th St and 7th Avenue.
McGookin documented the assault on social media on multiple occasions; her narrative garnered more than five million likes within a matter of days.
Since then, Skiboky Stora, age 40, has been implicated in the assault. He was acquitted on $10,000 bond during his Thursday arraignment.
Detectives were shown surveillance footage recovered in the vicinity of the attack on Monday morning. Stora responded, “That is indeed me walking my dog.”
Stora has a modest number of followers on Instagram. His numerous TikTok accounts feature videos of him aggressively confronting police officers and bystanders, the majority of whom are women.
On Thursday, Mallik Miah, 30, a second suspect, was apprehended in Greenwich Village on suspicion of assault.
Monday around 2:00 p.m., he is accused of striking Mikayla Toninato, 27, in the face as she exited class in front of 65 Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village. Toninato was 27 years old.
“This man just approached me out of nowhere and struck me in the face,” Toninato said in a TikTok video.
Miah, who is not eligible for bond on a misdemeanor assault charge, was granted supervised release. He has not been associated with any additional assaults.
Both apprehensions follow a recent surge of women who reported being subjected to random punches while traversing New York City’s sidewalks.
Between March 17 and March 26, in the wake of McGookin’s viral video about her assault, the NYPD can now account for at least six other punchings in which the victims subsequently posted a TikTok detailing their experiences.
Karina Dunford asserts that she was among the casualties.
Tuesday, the 24-year-old Brooklyn-based model documented on TikTok the incident in which she was struck in broad daylight in Chelsea.
“I was forcefully struck in the head; it felt like a blunt object,” she wrote on TikTok.
Each incident transpired within the previous fortnight and took place in Manhattan, more precisely in the Midtown and lower areas.
Although there is no indication that these attacks are linked, the Women’s Caucus of the New York City Council remains extremely concerned, according to the police.