A woman who was pepper-sprayed in the face and mocked as a “Karen” after confronting a group of fare evaders at a Manhattan subway station railed against the “racist” use of the word on Wednesday — as her alleged assailant was charged over the attack.
Fraylee Liranzo, 26, turned herself in Tuesday — the same day the NYPD released a cellphone photo of the suspect wanted over the assault at the 66th Street-Lincoln Center station on the Upper West Side, police said.
The 68-year-old victim told cops she had confronted several young women for turnstile jumping at around 3 p.m. Monday when a person who wasn’t part of the group approached her on the downtown 1 Train platform.
“Mind your own business, Karen,” the woman seethed before unloading the noxious chemical, according to cops.
Speaking to The Post later Wednesday, the shaken victim, who requested anonymity out of fear, said she feels sympathy for women named “Karen.”
“I feel bad for women with that name because immediately you get an association with it,” the longtime New Yorker said.
“I consider it racist. Racist, ageist and sexist,” she continued. “All three — because it says white, it says woman and it says old.”
The victim snapped the photo allegedly showing Liranzo holding the pepper spray bottle moments before the attack, police said.
She said she wasn’t sure if she’d call out fare evaders in the future due to the assault, but added: “civilized rules need to be followed.”
“When people start thinking that they don’t need to do anything, that everyone can be an individual with their own rules to themselves, no,” the victim said.
“That’s not what humans do,” she added. “That’s not how we coexist together.”
Liranzo was hit with a slew of charges, including two counts of assault, one count of assault and harassment, according to court documents.
She was released without bail at her arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court Wednesday evening.
Liranzo ignored questions as she left court, hiding her face behind a piece of paper.
Additional reporting by Kyle Schnitzer
