Teen is arrested in assault on Asian man in Manhattan

A Manhattan teenager has been arrested for a brutal October assault against an Asian man, cops said Saturday.

Jordan McNamara, 18, was arrested Friday for the Oct. 23 attack on Fifth Ave. near W. 31st St.

The 30-year-old victim was near the intersection about 10:30 p.m. when he found himself surrounded by three men and two women, cops said.

“What are you doing here, Asian?” one of the suspects said before the ruthless crew repeatedly pummeled and beat him with sticks, cops said.

The victim suffered a head injury and was treated at Bellevue Hospital.

McNamara, who lives about five blocks from the attack, was identified as one of the suspects (above) caught on a surveillance camera that captured the attack.

Although the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force investigated, no hate crime charges were brought against McNamara, who was charged with assault. His arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court was pending.

The October assault occurred when attacks against Asians were rampant in the city.

In 2021, cops investigated 118 hate crimes against Asians in the five boroughs, a 321% jump from the 28 reported in 2020. Of the 118 incidents, 54 arrests were made, according to NYPD data.

Fueled mostly by misconceptions that China was responsible for the coronavirus pandemic, Asians in the city suffered racial slurs, suggestions they return to their country and unprovoked assaults.

Things had gotten so bad the NYPD created a special unit that deployed Asian police officers undercover throughout the city to catch bigots.