The crazed homeless man who punched a nine-year-old girl in the face said he did it because he was 'thirsty.'
Jean Carlos Zarzuela, 30,was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly punched an unidentified girl insideNew York City's Grand Central Terminalaround 11.49am, police said.
Zarzuela told prosecutors on Monday during his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court: 'I hit the girl because I was thirsty. Maybe I hit her in the face by accident.'
A repeat offenderwho was recently released for a similar crime, then fled the scene and was later found by police at the Lexington Avenue/125th Street station.
Zarzuela was charged withaggravated assault of a victim under 11, second-degree assault, third-degree assault and attempted assault.
He is being held on $100,000 bail and must submit to a psychiatric evaluation.
Jean Carlos Zarzuela, 30, allegedly punched a nine-year-old girl in the faceon Saturday morning at Grand Central Station
During his arraignment on Monday in Manhattan Criminal Court, Zarzuela told prosecutors: 'I hit the girl because I was thirsty. Maybe I hit her in the face by accident'. (pictured: the suspect captured on surveillance cameras in the station)
During the violent attack,Zarzuela allegedly approached the girl as she stood near her mother before he hit her in the face without warning, according to the MTA Police Department.
She suffered pain and dizziness after the attack and was taken to NYU Langone-Tisch Hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
Surveillance footage caught Zarzuela near a Shake Shack in the food court, wandering in the station, and running out onto the street after the attack.
He was arrested by NYPD Transit Bureau officers around 10.20pm and told police that he lived at a homeless shelter nearby.
Zarzuela was seen in photos being escorted in handcuffs by MTA Police Detectives with multiple stains on his gray crewneck sweatshirt.
He donned black pants and had a blank look on his face as the officers walked him out of Grand Central Terminal.
This was not Zarzuela's first run-in with the law, as sources close to the investigation told amNew York Metrothat he was arrested eight other times.
On April 4, Zarzuela assaulted a 54-year-old woman at the Grand Central Terminal near Lexington Avenue, police said.
During that encounter, the suspect allegedly punched the woman in the face in a random attack and broke her nose, MTA Police sources said.
The repeat offender who was recently released for a similar crime, fled the scene after he hit the girl and was later found by police at the Lexington Avenue/125th Street station
Zarzuela is seen wandering in surveillance footage outside of a Shake Shack in the terminal's dining area
He was arrested and charged with second-degree felony assault, but his charge was later decreased to third-degree misdemeanor assault after he appeared in court, records revealed.
Prosecutors first requested that he remain in jail on a $10,000 bail, which was soon downgraded to $2,500.
According to court records, days after his hearing, Judge Laurie Peterson ordered he be released from custody without bail after prosecutors and police couldn't obtain a supporting deposition from the victim or the MTA.
A deposition needed to be filed within five days of his arrest for him to remain in jail. It is unclear why the deadline was missed.
'It doesn't make any sense that this guy-- who recently was released after being charged with randomly punching someone else and breaking that victim’s nose-- should be back in a public space where he can attack others, especially children,' MTA Communications Director Tim Minton said.
'The people responsible for the criminal justice system need to learn from this episode before more innocent people become victims.'
Prosecutors said Zarzuela is also facing charges for an incident in 2023 where he hit another stranger in the face.
DailyMail.com contacted his lawyer, Gideon Oliver, for comment.
He was seen in photos being escorted in handcuffs by MTA Police Detectives with multiple stains on his gray crewneck sweatshirt
Zarzuela is seen running out of Grand Central Station shortly after he allegedly struck the girl.He is being held on $100,000 bail and must submit to a psychiatric evaluation
Zarzuela is expected back in court on Friday.
This year alone, there have been 465 reported felony assaults in the Big Apple, according to crime statistics.
In recent weeks, multiple women were randomly punched in the face by men,following a trend line of seemingly isolated incidents of violence in the city.
Last week,police released surveillance footage of a suspectwho allegedly punched a23-year-old woman on March 20 as she walked past aMcDonald's on 6th Avenue in Chelsea around 10am.
She was inspected by medical professionals for a nose injury and filed a report with authorities on the same day.
The suspect, a man in dark pants, a light T-shirt and what looks like a light blue overcoat or unbuttoned dress shirt, was caught on surveillance camera jogging away after the attack.
