LOWER MANHATTAN — A man walking with his family was repeatedly punched in the face by boat tour ticket sellers at The Battery Saturday afternoon — an attack that's the latest violent incident amid what police have called a scourge of aggressive peddlers who swarm tourists hoping to sail to the Statue of Liberty.
According to a police, the 44-year-old victim was hit in the face by at least two hawkers selling Water Taxi tickets for cruises that sail around Liberty Island.
The man told police that the sellers approached his wife "aggressively" at about 1 p.m. Saturday and when he asked the men to leave his family alone, they attacked him.
The man, who was with family visiting from Hungary, was left with bruises, cuts and swelling, police said.
Police arrested one man, Andre Morris, but at least one other man who allegedly hit the 44-year-old managed to run off.
Morris, who police said had previously been charged with rape, robbery and assault, was charged with third degree assault and harassment for this incident, according to his criminal complaint from the Manhattan DA's office.
#BREAKING @nywatertaxi tkt seller arrested. Punched a man w/ his family from Hungry.
— NYPD 1st Precinct (@NYPD1Pct) October 29, 2016
Priors:RAPE, ROBBERY & ASSAULT pic.twitter.com/ctdaONokix
He's being held on $1,500 bail. His Legal Aid lawyer did not immediately return request for contact.
Police have been urging ferry company New York Water Taxi to stop using the network of sellers, who are hired by ticket resale companies that purchase tickets from Water Taxi. In May, citywide ferry operator Hornblower, Inc., stopped selling its tickets through the sometimes violent street hawkers — following a DNAinfo New York story about the company's practice.
Water Taxi did not immediately return request for comment.
