New York City serial puncher appears handcuffed in court as he's charged with EIGHT assaults after telling prosecutors 'you have to check women sometimes'

The man accused of assaulting at least eight women in random attacks in New York City allegedly told investigators ‘you have to check women sometimes’.

Daquan Armstead, 31, was arrested just after midnight on Tuesday and charged with third-degree assault and harassment in connection with the incidents this year.

He was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday where prosecutors claimed he identified himself in still images of the assaults.

Prosecutors told the court Armstead was a flight risk having skipped previous court hearings and asked for him to be held on $50,000 bail or $100,000 bond.

While defense attorney Katherine Bajuk requested supervised release as her client suffers from mental health issues. But Judge Michael Ryan decided bail was required and set it at $20,000 cash or $40,000 bond and ordered a mental health assessment.

Prosecutors claimed the spree of attacks on women began on February 12 when Armstead allegedly punched a 30-year-old woman without warning on Elizabeth Street at around 11.50am.

The man accused of assaulting at least eight women in random attacks in New York City allegedly told investigators ‘you have to check women sometimes’

Daquan Armstead, 31, was arrested just after midnight on Tuesday and charged with third-degree assault and harassment in connection with the incidents this year

He was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court where prosecutors claimed he identified himself in still images of the assaults

Prosecutors have accused Armstead of launching at least eight unprovoked attacks on women in the city and will present evidence to a grand jury on April 26.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office revealed he has two other bench warrants, the first involving a stranger assault against a woman in 2021 and a second incident in 2024.

He failed to show up for his first court hearing until he was arrested again and was allowed out on supervised release, according to prosecutors.

Armstead allegedly committed seven more stranger assaults against women since being released and identified himself in still images to police.

Prosecutors said: ‘The defendant said “It’s different with men, they don’t challenge you like women do. You have to check women sometimes.”

They asked for bail to be set at $50,000 but defense attorney Bajuk argued that Armstead suffered from mental health issues and jail would only make matters worse.

‘I am asking you to consider supervised release,’ she said. ‘He has been receiving SSI for a diagnosis - he was also receiving services for mental health but he seems to have fallen through the cracks.

‘When someone with a mental health concern is incarcerated, nothing good happens for anybody.

‘The person becomes less connected with the services they need and the outcome for everyone and everything is worse.’

Halley Kate, who has over 1 million followers on TikTok, said she lost consciousness and fell to the floor following an assault in the street last month 

Judge Ryan agreed that Armstead did pose a flight risk and set bail at $20,000 cash or $40,000 bond but did order a mental health assessment for the defendant. He set a date for the next court hearing for April 26.

Armstead is accused of hitting a 30-year-old woman on the back of the head on Delancey Street at 2am on March 24 before running away.

The next day he is said to have punched a 36-year-old woman in the back at Chrystie and Rivington street.

On April 2, he punched a 38-year-old woman in the back of the head after he asked her for $1 and she said she had no cash, according to prosecutors.

Police also said he punched a 24-year-old woman on Stanton Street who also refused to give him money.

Armstead allegedly attacked two women separately on Delancey Street on April 5 with one 25-year-old hit on the head at 12.25pm and a 44-year-old who was punched in the face five minutes later.

On April 17, he is accused of attacking a 27-year-old administrator at New York University who was struck in the face while walking through Washington Square Park.

Meanwhile authorities are investigating a series of other attacks on women in New York City which have not been linked to Armstead.

The New York Police Department said Skiboky Stora was arrested and charged with assaulting Halley Kate, making it his third arrest in the past six months

Influencer Halley Kate shared a video last month in which she claimed she was assaulted so badly she eventually blacked out.

Skiboky Stora, 40, who has a lengthy criminal history, was arrested in that case.

Another random attack saw a 57-year-old Brooklyn school bus aide have her jaw broken and teeth knocked out after she was punched by a man.

Franz Jeudy, 33, who has a history of mental illness, faces misdemeanor assault charges in relation to the incident.

Dulce Pichardo, 57, was left with a fractured face, three teeth knocked out and her jaw wired shut after a stranger viciously sucker-punched her