NYPD Searching for Suspect in February 20, 2026 Umbrella Assault Outside 1267 1st Avenue in Manhattan’s 19th Precinct

‘Penguin’ Beats Woman with Umbrella

By Staff Reporter

Manhattan Voice

February 27, 2026

NEW YORK, NY - It looked like a scene out of a Batman movie: a man strutting down the street with a large umbrella, holding like a rifle and then using it as a weapon to try to stab the woman. Now cops are hoping the unusual video will help them catch the attacker.

According to police, the incident happened on Friday, February 20, 2026, at approximately 4:25 p.m. in front of 1267 1st Avenue on the Upper East Side. Investigators say a 24-year-old woman was approached by an unidentified individual who allegedly struck her in the back with an umbrella, causing pain.

After the assault, the suspect fled the scene on foot, traveling southbound on 1st Avenue toward East 67th Street, police said. The victim declined medical attention at the scene.

Authorities report that the encounter appeared to be unprovoked. The suspect approached the victim outdoors in broad daylight and struck her once before fleeing.

While the injury was not reported as life-threatening, the incident has raised concerns about daytime assaults in the Upper East Side’s 19th Precinct corridor and public safety incidents on 1st Avenue in Manhattan.

Police have released media depicting the individual and are urging anyone who recognizes the suspect to come forward in connection with the February 20, 2026 Manhattan assault investigation.

The case is currently being investigated as an assault within the confines of the 19th Precinct. Detectives are working to determine the identity and whereabouts of the individual involved in the umbrella attack on a 24-year-old woman in Manhattan.

Although the victim refused medical treatment, incidents like this contribute to broader conversations about Upper East Side neighborhood safety concerns and non-fatal assault cases in Manhattan residential corridors.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on X @NYPDTips. 

All calls are confidential.