A man is in custody for allegedly punching an Arkansas tourist Monday after he refused to buy tickets to the Statue of Liberty, knocking him unconscious and fracturing his skull, police said.
Charges against the unidentified man are pending, police said.
The 33-year-old victim was on South Street near Whitehall Street when he was approached by a woman who tried to sell him fake tickets to the landmark at about 3:30 p.m. on Monday, according to the NYPD.
When the victim refused, another ticket hawker punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious, police said.
The man was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was treated for a fractured skull, police said.
Mayor de Blasio said that city administrators and authorities don't take schemes targeting visitors lightly.
"If there's something aimed at tourists...we will get at it very, very aggressively," the mayor said.
Source:nbcnewyork.com
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