Amelia Lewis probably didn’t think her Monday morning walk to class would end with her being the face of what’s wrong with big city crime in 2025. But here we are. A young NYU student, just trying to get to her 9:30 a.m. class, ended up assaulted on a public sidewalk in broad daylight — and instead of staying silent, she did what far too many are afraid to do: she spoke out, posted the video online, and demanded accountability.
The alleged attacker? A 45-year-old man named James Rizzo, who, according to the NYPD, was arrested and charged with persistent sexual abuse, forcible touching, and assault after the incident. The fact that the suspect allegedly had a history of attacking young women near campus — and was somehow still roaming the streets — raises a whole lot of questions that city officials probably don’t want to answer. But if you’ve been paying attention to what’s happening in cities like New York lately, the pattern is becoming hard to ignore.
In the videos Lewis posted to social media, she describes the moment the man came up behind her, slapped her, grabbed her hair, and threw her to the ground. It’s disturbing, it’s infuriating, and sadly, it’s not all that surprising anymore. Her raw, emotional reaction shows just how rattling the experience was — and how fed up she is with the state of public safety in the city.
“I should not be scared to be walking the street to go to my 9:30 a.m. class,” Lewis said, visibly shaken. “These people are disgusting, and they should not be able to be walking around the street freely targeting girls and doing this.”
She’s right. But this is what you get when crime gets dismissed as a social experiment and criminal justice reform turns into criminal neglect. New York voters were told over and over again that defunding police, decriminalizing “minor” offenses, and emptying jails would lead to a fairer, more equitable city. Instead, it led to a 20-year-old college student getting assaulted on Broadway while walking to class.
NYU student assault pic.twitter.com/LxFhzmiafM
— Amelia Lewis (@AmeliaLewi33832) December 1, 2025
NYU confirmed the incident and says it’s working with law enforcement, but Amelia’s video — not the university’s response — is what lit the fire. Thanks to her best friend securing surveillance footage from a nearby liquor store, the NYPD had a clearer picture of what happened. She didn’t just report the assault. She posted it. She named it. She made sure the story didn’t get buried under a pile of bureaucratic paperwork or brushed off as just another “random” incident.
And it worked.
A suspect was arrested less than 24 hours later.
Congrats to the @NYPDnews for MAKING AN ARREST of the accused NYU SEXUAL ABUSER – 45-year-old James Rizzo – who allegedly has been assaulting young women on/around campus! @AmeliaLewi33832 who bravely reported this crime and refused to allow herself to be a victim went public…
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) December 2, 2025
To make it even more clear, Lewis didn’t stop at just telling her own story — she turned it into a bigger point. “This just shows that you really need to reflect on who you’re voting for and supporting right now,” she said. “Because New York needs help, and we’re just not getting the help we need.”
Now there’s a sentence that should be printed on every campaign flyer in the city for the next election.
Serial groper James Rizzo was arrested for randomly attacking an NYU student.
Cops caught him when he was allegedly in the middle of a burglary inside an apartment near Washington Square Park.
He has 16 prior arrests. He said nothing when asked what’s wrong with him. pic.twitter.com/ivx1JxOoyS
— Steven Vago (@Vagoish) December 3, 2025
Because whether city leaders want to admit it or not, New York’s streets aren’t safe — especially not for young women. And it shouldn’t take viral videos to get serious action. It shouldn’t take a college student being thrown to the ground to spark urgency. But when the headlines fade, and the next crime hits the feed, the same questions will hang in the air: Why are repeat offenders still free? Why are basic safety and order treated like luxury items? And when exactly did walking to class become a high-risk activity?
Credit to Amelia Lewis for refusing to stay quiet. She showed courage, grit, and something else that’s been in short supply lately — common sense. The kind of common sense that says this shouldn’t be happening, and the kind of leadership that says someone has to do something about it.
The question is: will anyone in charge listen? Or are New Yorkers just supposed to “be aware at all times” and hope for the best?
