A man arrested in Brooklyn earlier this month in connection with a brutal daytime assault on a 12-year-old Asian boy has been arrested nearly two dozen times in the past, according to reports.
Police said Jamal McIlwain, 28, assaulted the victim with a crutch at the intersection of St. Paul’s Court and St. Paul’s Place around 7:40 a.m. Nov. 17. He was arrested Wednesday after someone reported him acting suspiciously outside. an unknown high school.
Surveillance footage of the attack shows a man in dark clothing running towards the boy and striking him twice with a single crutch. After failing to strike a third time, he “quietly” walks away, leaves the crutch on the sidewalk and heads north on St. Paul’s Place, according to the New York Post.
The young victim, who suffered minor head injuries, was reportedly on his way to school before being attacked.
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“It’s weird how he ran across the street to hit me,” the boy said Pix 11. “When he hit me, it took me a few seconds to process what was going on. I tried to block it with this arm and ran away.
McIlwain is said to have spat on a police officer during his arrest last week. He has since been charged with assault and threats, and conduct harmful to a child under the age of 17.
According to sources, McIlwain already has 23 previous arrests New York daily news. Among them was an attempted murder where he allegedly opened fire on someone.
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At his arraignment on Friday, McIlwain reportedly claimed he worked for “NCIS,” which is understood to be the crime drama that has aired on CBS since 2003. Given this, attorney Jonathan Fink said it’s “quite clear” that his client “does have mental health issues” and asked for psychiatric evaluation.
Prosecutors asked for bail to be set at $75,000. Ultimately, Judge Simiyon Haniff ordered that McIlwain be held without bail and requested a psychiatric evaluation, the New York Daily News reported.
The attack, which took place near a church, has left residents terrified.
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“It’s kind of sad that something like this can happen and we don’t know about it because a lot of kids live here. So hopefully he will be caught, because you shouldn’t do that,” said a resident CBS New York.
Featured image via New York Police Department
