A kind-hearted individual was brutally attacked when he intervened to help a woman being assaulted by her boyfriend on an Upper East Side street over the weekend, according to police.
Brian Mendieta, 26, chased his 27-year-old girlfriend onto East 76th Street near First Avenue and slapped her in the face around 11:45 p.m. on Friday, authorities reported.
A 40-year-old man passing by heard the woman’s screams, attempted to intervene, and called 911, as per cops and prosecutors.
Mendieta then turned on the bystander and repeatedly punched him in the face, resulting in a bruised nose, a cut on his forehead, swelling, and significant pain, police and a criminal complaint stated.
Both the injured girlfriend and the bystander did not require hospitalization, as per authorities.
Mendieta fled the scene but was apprehended on Saturday afternoon and charged with third-degree assault, second-degree aggravated harassment, third-degree attempted assault, and second-degree harassment, the complaint revealed.
He was released on his own recognizance following his Sunday arraignment.
Initially, police described the incident involving the woman as an attempted rape but later clarified it as a physical assault only.
During Mendieta’s arraignment, Assistant District Attorney Julia Hooks mentioned that the couple had been arguing, leading to the altercation turning violent.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed that a protection order was issued to prevent Mendieta from contacting his girlfriend, who lived together with no children in common, Hooks added.
