Suspect arrested after attack on NYU student caught on video: Police

The suspect who allegedly attacked a New York University student on her way to class Monday morning has been arrested, police said.

The alleged attacker, James Rizzo, 45, ran up to the 20-year-old woman on Broadway near Astor Place, slapped her head and buttocks, grabbed her hair, pushed her to the ground and then took off, the New York Police Department said.

Rizzo was arrested Tuesday and charged with persistent sexual abuse, forcible touching and assault, the NYPD said.

According to a NYPD spokesperson, Rizzo has 16 prior arrests including forcible touching, assault and burglary. He is a level 2 sex offender for a 2023 forcible touching arrest, according to court records.

The suspect was released on parole from state prison in September after serving two years behind bars on a persistent sexual abuse conviction.

He is expected in court later Wednesday.

The victim, who identified herself as Amelia Lewis, took to X Monday to decry the assault and show alleged surveillance video of the attack.

"I am a student at NYU, I should not be scared to be walking the street to go to my 9:30 a.m. class," Lewis said in the social media post. "I'm honestly still in shock, but I'm more enraged that things like this are able to happen in this city."

The victim posted late Tuesday that she is in "a much better place ... knowing this perpetrator won't hurt any more young women."

John Beckman, the senior vice president for public affairs and strategic communications at NYU, told ABC News that he was happy the suspect has been arrested.

"The University is pleased that a suspect has been apprehended in the attack on one of its students that took place Monday morning on a Broadway sidewalk. We take this incident very seriously. We are continuing to offer support to the student, and our Campus Safety Department assisted the victim and worked with the police investigating the incident," Beckman said.

NYU graduate student Ashlyn Prieto told WABC that the video was alarming to her as a student at the school.

"I saw the video as well, which was scary and very disturbing," Prieto said. "So, it's definitely something to be more on the lookout, especially as my commute towards the park, especially because that was exactly like route that I would take. So it was very scary."

-ABC News' Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.