Woman assaults customer after kicking puppy kennels at Citipups in Manhattan

In a matter of seconds, what started as a typical day in Citipups was shattered by alarming actions captured on cellphone and the shop’s surveillance video.

Edric Robinson

Feb 22, 2024, 4:32 PM

Updated 290 days ago

Share:

In a matter of seconds, what started as a typical day in Citipups was shattered by alarming actions captured on cellphone and the shop’s surveillance video.
The footage shows a woman kicking puppy kennels before turning her aggression toward a customer, resorting to physical violence that left bystanders horrified.
"From across the room, I yelled at her to stop, and she kicked it [kennels] again even harder," said Emilio Ortiz, the manager at Citipups.
Ortiz recorded the incident on his cellphone.
“She saw me recording and lunged at my phone, and I kind of held her at arm's length and tried to keep her away from me. Then, we tried escorting her out, and on her way out she slapped this tourist that was here,” continued Ortiz.
According to an NYPD report, it happened around 3:45 p.m. Saturday. The victim is noted as a 45-year-old female who stated that she was just looking at puppies in the shop when the unknown female approached and hit her in the face causing pain, swelling and bleeding.
Ortiz says the victim was visiting from Texas.
"It’s just crazy, like putting myself in that woman's shoes. Imagine it’s your first day in another city you've never been to before and just being assaulted by a random stranger," said Ortiz.
Staff at the store say the victim has since called the shop saying she’s back home in Texas and is doing well. No puppies were injured. The NYPD says this investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made at the time of this report