MANHATTAN — A man beat and threatened to kill the mother of his child before forcing her to walk on the street naked while filming her for a video that was posted online, authorities said.
Jasson Melo, 22, punched and choked the 22-year-old woman on Sunday, Jan. 17, near Frederick Douglass Boulevard and West 134th Street, before making her walk outside her apartment building wearing nothing but a white towel and knee-high boots, the NYPD said.
Melo, who has a three-month-old daughter with the woman, threatened to kill her if she didn’t do what he said, according to police.
Once outdoors, Melo started recording the woman as she walked in front of him and castigated her in Spanish for talking to other men. He then pulled off the victim's towel, fully exposing her on the street while he filmed, and told her in Spanish, "That’s what you deserve,” the video showed.
The woman could be seen in the clip trying to hide behind several cars before finding a motorcycle cover to wrap around her body.
The victim, who filed a police report on Wednesday, had a cut on her face and complained of pain in her stomach, according to the NYPD. Melo struck her multiple times in the face and pelvic area, as well as threatening to hit her with Buddha statue and throw her down the stairs, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
He turned himself in Wednesday, police said.
The video, which police said was taken on Sunday, was uploaded to Facebook Monday afternoon and circulated widely, amassing dozens of comments and shares on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Melo has posted several videos on his Instagram page in recent days, stating in Spanish that he was sorry for what he did. He also said he doesn’t feel good about what he did and has even considered taking his own life.
Melo was charged with assault, menacing, aggravated harassment and endangering the welfare of a child for leaving his daughter alone in the apartment during the episode, the DA said.
He was being held on $10,000 bond or $7,500 bail, with his next court appearance set for Feb. 10, prosecutors said.
His attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
