The homeless man accused of ambushing a 20-year-old NYU student during her walk to class on Monday has a long and disturbing record of targeting women, The Post has learned. James Rizzo, 45, was charged Tuesday evening after police said he shoved college student Amelia Lewis to the ground in an unprovoked attack in Lower Manhattan.
Rizzo, who has racked up 16 prior arrests that include sexual abuse, forcible touching, and even a 1997 murder charge, is now facing persistent sexual abuse, forcible touching, and assault charges for the attack on Lewis, according to police. Officers said they linked him to the case after they “caught him in the act” of burglarising an apartment near Washington Square Park the next day.
He didn’t just stop there. Rizzo was also charged with four counts of burglary tied to the same building, police said. Three of those alleged break-ins happened while residents were asleep inside. He had only been out of state prison since September, after serving two years on a persistent sexual abuse conviction.
By Monday morning, he was back on the street. Around 9:30 a.m., police said Rizzo allegedly sprinted up behind Lewis, slapped her buttocks, yanked her hair and threw her to the ground before running off.
Lewis later spoke out about the terrifying moment in an emotional video online. “I just really want to emphasise how not ok this is,” she said through tears. “I’m honestly still in shock, but I’m more enraged that things like this are able to happen in this city, and we really need to do something about it because this is unacceptable.”
Rizzo’s arrest history shows a documented pattern of targeting women. According to law enforcement sources, he was charged last December with grabbing the breasts of a 33-year-old woman on Green Street in Manhattan. After assaulting her, he allegedly taunted her with the line, “Oh, you want more?”
His record stretches back decades. The charges over the years paint a picture of a man repeatedly accused of preying on women in public spaces, often without warning and with little regard for consequences. Despite multiple convictions and a recent prison sentence, he was still free to roam the streets this week, where police say he struck again.
The attack on Lewis has already sparked outrage online and renewed conversations about public safety in the city. Her video resonated with countless New Yorkers who said similar incidents happen far too often and rarely make headlines.
Lewis herself said she was shaken but determined not to stay silent. Her message was clear. What happened to her should never be considered a normal part of city life, and she urged New Yorkers to demand action.
Rizzo is currently in custody as the investigation continues. His long history of arrests, paired with the fresh string of charges, is raising serious questions about how someone with such a record was free to launch yet another attack on an unsuspecting woman walking to class.