Anti-Gay Assault In West Village

The NYPD has released a blurry surveillance photo of a man suspected of using anti-gay slurs before smashing a woman in the face with a ketchup bottle in a West Village diner.

The victim, 33, whose identity was not immediately released, was dining in the Waverly Restaurant, 385 Sixth Ave., with several other women when the suspect and a group of friends started arguing with them about 4:40 a.m., police said. The suspect, who cops described as 6-feet tall and about 200 pounds, started throwing epithets before grabbing a ketchup bottle and cracking it on the victim’s head, according to the NYPD. The woman had a gash on her forehead after the attack, cops said.

Last night City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, whose district includes the West Village, issued as a statement:



“I am deeply disturbed by the attack on Monday against an LGBT New Yorker at the Waverly Diner in Manhattan. The suspect made anti-gay statements and struck the victim in the face with a bottle. In New York City we celebrate our diversity and hateful acts like this have no place in our City. I thank the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force for their swift response and I join the Police Department in asking for the public’s assistance in locating the suspect. I urge anyone with information about this incident to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).”