Passersby Aid Woman Being Attacked in Front of Binghamton Church

A motorist who saw a woman being punched near a Binghamton church stopped at the scene and called police for help.

Another woman who witnessed the incident on Robinson Street used her phone to record the incident.

The attack occurred in front of Fairview United Methodist Church on the city's East Side around 1:15 p.m. Monday. The scene is a half block from Calvin Coolidge Elementary School.

Witnesses told WNBF News the woman who was assaulted apparently was waiting for a B.C. Transit bus to go to work. She was at a bus stop on Robinson Street, just west of Bigelow Street.

Those who saw the incident say a man apparently came out from a nearby home and started grabbing a bag or purse the woman was holding. They said he pulled her hair and then repeatedly punched her in the head after she fell to the ground.

One woman who witnessed the attack said two other people who were sitting on a bench waiting for a bus saw what was occurring but did not intervene.

Binghamton fire medics and an ambulance were called to the scene but the woman who had been assaulted declined treatment.

Several police officers interviewed people who were involved in the incident along with those who witnessed it.

The attack occurred three blocks south of where 12-year-old Aliza Spencer was fatally shot while walking near her home on Bigelow Street on April 21.

A man reportedly was transported from Robinson Street to police headquarters. He had not been charged as the investigation continued.

A woman who was inside the church at the time of the assault said she had heard nothing and was unaware of the incident until someone told her about it.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.