A 68-year-old straphanger was pepper-sprayed in the face and mocked as a “Karen” after confronting a group of young women for jumping the turnstiles at a Manhattan subway station, police said Tuesday.
The victim was on the downtown 1 Train platform at the 66th Street-Lincoln Center station on the Upper West Side around 3 p.m. Monday when she chastised the fare evaders, according to cops.
That’s when the attacker, who wasn’t part of the group, stepped in, police said.
“Mind your own business, Karen,” the heavy-set woman seethed before discharging the spray.
The victim was able to snap a photo of her assailant holding the spray bottle moments before the attack.
She later called 911 to report the assault and refused medical attention.
The suspect, who ran off after the incident, was last seen wearing a black T-shirt that read “Sold Out,” black leggings and sneakers.
She’s described as being in her 20s, standing approximately 5 feet, 4 inches tall with a heavy build, according to cops.
The attack comes two months after a NYC Health + Hospital worker was widely mocked online as a “Karen” for allegedly hijacking a Citi Bike from a young black customer.
“Karen” has become a pejorative in recent years to describe an entitled white woman.
In 2020, Amy Cooper was nicknamed the “Central Park Karen” for calling the cops on a black birdwatcher, Christian Cooper, who had asked her to put her dog on a leash in the famous park.
Police are asking anyone with information about Monday’s incident to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS. All calls are confidential.
