Homeless Man Bites Cop Near Union Square; Woman Missing from Hell’s Kitchen

A troubled person allegedly took a bite out of an NYPD officer on July 24 at approximately 1:37pm. The individual approached two officers at East 17th Street and Fifth Avenue and spat on one of the officers.

While the officers attempted to take the individual into custody, he bit one female cop on the arm and headbutted the other, causing that officer to hit her head on the ground.

Both officers were treated at an area hospital and are in stable condition.

Photos in the New York Post show the gruesome tooth marks on the lower bicep of the bitten cop, a woman from the 13th Precinct.

As for the alleged assailant, he wore only grungy black sweatpants rolled up to the knee. Otherwise, he was barefoot, shirtless, bald, bearded, and still somewhat muscular. The police took the alleged perpetrator into custody. He was identified as Lonnie Payne, 45, with a stated residence of 400 E. 30th St. in Manhattan, which is the address of a NYC Department of Homeless Services men’s shelter.

Payne was charged with two counts each—one for each cop—of assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, and harassment 2nd degree.

Payne is being held on Rikers Island on $25,000 bail, or $50,000 partially secured bond. Department of Corrections records list Payne as a white male from California, 6-foot-1, 153 pounds.

His next scheduled court appearance in this case is July 30.

Before then, however, on Monday, July 28—the day this issue goes to press—Payne was due in Kings County Supreme Court in Brooklyn on a subway sex-assault case dating back to June 27, 2021.

Since April 2022, Payne has been in and out of Brooklyn court almost monthly for a variety of reasons, many related to probation violations. His most recent appearance was June 9, 2025, when Judge Guy Mangano Jr. decided to continue Payne’s probation.

53-Year-Old Asian Woman Missing from Hell’s Kitchen

The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in locating the following missing person, who resides within the confines of the 18th Precinct. Details are as follows:

Her name is Moudupe Carpenter, a 53-year-old Asian female living at 448 W. 48th St. She was last seen leaving a Subway restaurant located at 716 Third Ave. on Friday, June 18, 2025, at approximately 4pm.

The missing woman is said to be approximately 5 foot 9 and 230 pounds. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt, khaki pants, and black sneakers.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.All calls are strictly confidential.