Brooklyn woman blasts NYPD cops for not arresting homeless man who maced her two months after he beat her dog to death
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY: A woman whose beloved dog died after getting brutally attacked by a homeless man in Brooklyn's Prospect Park and was then maced by the same man two months later. In an explosive interview, Jessica Chrustic admits that she “never felt unsafe” in the city until this incident.
Speaking to Fox News, 41-year-old Chrustic recounted how her golden retriever mix Moose died days after getting beaten with a stick by the unidentified homeless man in August last year. Two months after burying her canine companion, Chrustic revealed that she ran into the homeless man again in October when he sprayed mace all over her. She called 911 after the second frightening encounter. However, no arrest has been made in the case, as per New York Police Department. Woke locals have reportedly come forward in defense of the suspect, who is black, arguing that he was "vulnerable" and therefore should not be arrested. Moreover, neighbors confirm that the suspect lived in the park and has been spotted several times since the attack.
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'I shouldn't have had to be attacked twice'
"This shouldn't have had to come to this," Chrustic told the news outlet. "I shouldn't have had to be attacked twice." Speaking to Fox News, Chrustic described the initial encounter with the homeless man that took place on August 3 and led to her pet dog’s death due to sepsis five days later. She said that she tried to get her dog as far away as possible during their walk, but the homeless man suddenly ran in front of her and took out a Gatorade bottle before spraying liquid on her. She later realized it was urine. Chrustic admitted that she'd seen him in Prospect Park many times, often muttering to himself while carrying a garbage bag and a long, thick walking stick.
She recalled the man striking her lower back with his stick before swinging it at the pet dog. "When I turned around, Moose was then trying to protect me," she said. "I just wanted to protect my dog, and my dog was trying to protect me." The next blow hit Moose straight across the face and left a serious injury. Within minutes, early-morning bicyclists and walkers stopped to help, but the suspect had already fled. Chrustic recalled briefly talking to the police, before rushing Moose to the veterinarian for emergency dental surgery. His internal injuries remained undiagnosed and he died of sepsis five days later.
While Chrustic has received an outpour of love and support from neighbors and online, residents of Park Slope object to the idea of sending cops after a black man who appeared mentally unwell. This comes two summers after social justice protests swept through New York City following the murder of George Floyd. Shahana Hanif, a spokesperson for the city councilor told The New York Times the police weren’t "the vehicle to bring safety to our community."
What led to the homeless man spray mace on Chrustic?
While recounting the events of her second encounter with the homeless man, Chrustic said that she was phoned by an elderly woman who noticed the suspect in Prospect Park. Chrustic, who is a marathon runner, rushed to the park and began following the suspect after getting "waved away" by the police. After tracking him deeper into the park, worried that she might lose him before the police arrived, Chrustic said that the man ran toward her and sprayed mace all over her body. However, she did not retreat and continued her pursuit as she called 911 multiple times. The man eventually turned on her with staff. "It’s the same thing he killed Moose with, and he’s chasing me down the street full speed," she said. "After that, I was like, ‘I’m done. I can’t do this anymore.'"
Chrustic said that police arrived approximately 40 minutes after she saw that first police car sitting by the park. She said: "You have a dangerous person who’s attacking people, who’s in a public space, who should be removed. Period. What happens next — be it jail or mental health treatment — is a "separate conversation." She admitted had "a lot of PTSD" after the incident.
Arrest will be made 'when a positive identification can be made'
A spokesperson for NYPD told Fox News the investigation is ongoing and that an arrest will be made "when a positive identification can be made." "I gave them exactly where he slept, exactly where he stayed," Chrustic said. "He's [known by] everybody in the community. It was never a question of being able to find him." Chrustic believes that there are people in the NYPD who "genuinely want to do a good job," but are caught in the middle of other issues. "Unfortunately, I think it's gonna take someone else to be assaulted to have it be closed," she concluded.