Times Square’s ‘Free Hugs’ Guy Was Allegedly Caught On Camera Punching This Woman For Refusing A Tip

When it comes to the ‘Free Hugs’ campaign, one of the things you don’t expect to come into play is money. Touching, weird feelings, and possible sickness is all expected from getting a free hug, but you don’t expect to be forced into giving a tip from a free hug.

That did not happen Thursday when Jermaine Himmelstein, one of the many fixtures of Times Square and a repeat target for police, decided to allegedly take out some aggression on a woman who refused to give him a tip:

On Thursday, the New York City Police Department said a 21-year-old woman took a picture with Jermaine Himmelstein, 24, of East Harlem, who was holding a sign in Times Square that said “free hugs.” Police said Himmelstein then demanded three times that the woman give him money — and she refused each time. After the third denial, police said he punched her in the face when she tried to walk away.

She was cut above the right eye, and was treated and released at Roosevelt Hospital. The woman is originally from Canada, but is living in Midtown.

You can see the aftermath of the punch below via ABC7 in New York.

Himmelstein is no stranger to public fame or violent incidents, admitting to such with detectives following an April incident:

He is charged with robbery, fraudulent accosting assault, assault in the third degree, attempted assault in the third degree and harassment in both incidents.

In the criminal complaint, police said the suspect admitted to detectives that he sucker punched his victims because they refused to tip him. In each case, he followed the victim because he was upset. In the April 29 incident, the victim said the suspect asked her, “what do you think I’m a rapist?”

Himmelstein has been arrested 16 times since 2012, including an incident where he reportedly threw a can of soda at a woman in Washington Square Park and another where he punched a woman on Coney Island. Bail was set at $5,000 for this most recent incident, with a court date for May 18th.

ABC 7 notes that Himmelstein was covered by the New York Times in 2013, with him claiming to rake in $30 an hour with his “free hugs” routine. As you can see from the clip below, his most recent day was cut short for good reason.

(Via ABC7NewYork)