Man Arrested Over Viral NYC Punching Once Ran For Mayor

Justice is being served for at least one of the NYC women punched randomly while walking down the street earlier this week.

Skiboky Stora of Brooklyn was arrested in connection to the attack of at least one NYC woman, Halley Kate, who shared her experience in a now viral TikTok video.

 Earlier this week, Halley shared her terrifying experience in a TikTok video to warn other women in the city to be alert. She shared multiple update videos after to share more of the story, with the most recent TikTok update explaining that the man who punched her was arrested.

"I wasn't going to talk about this situation again but I do feel I have a responsibility to let the girlies of New York City know that the man who assaulted me has been arrested," she said. "The NYPD got surveillance footage from the stores where the scene of the crime happened."

She explained that the police called her into the station to take a statement from her, and he was arrested on Wednesday, two days after the attack.

Halley encourages the other women who were punched on the streets of New York to report it to police and give as much detail as possible.

"I remembered barely anything and the police were still able to narrow it down," she continued. "That's the last and final update of this situation. Hopefully, girls out there stay safe."

See video here.

Stora, 40, is a political candidate who ran for mayor, governor and City Council in the past few years. He's being charged with assault in connection with attacking TikTok content creator and influencer Halley.

Stora was set to appear in Manhattan court on Wednesday morning for a previous arrest, according to court dockets.

According to the New York Post, police have not revealed if Stora is a suspect in any of the other multiple random punching incidents on the streets of New York City earlier this week.

The New York Post also reported that Stora made an unsuccessful City Council bid in District 9 last year, losing to Democrat Yusef Salaam, who was falsely convicted of raping a white woman, along with four other black teens, in Central Park.

In 2022, he was a "withdrawn or disqualified" Republican gubernatorial candidate, according to Ballotpedia.

After news of Stora's arrest broke, many of his Instagram followers took to the comment sections of his previously shared videos to leave their thoughts.

"This the dude that punches women," one person wrote. Another said, "So here is the guy who acts tough but then has been going around NYC punching women in the face!"

On another video, one person wrote, "Skiboky Stora punched a woman TikToker in the face two days ago and is now under arrested."

Another person added, "'Freedom party' but hits women, what a joke."

Halley wasn't the only woman to get punched while walking in NYC this week. She's also not the only one to share her story on TikTok to warn others of the disturbing experience.

Mikayla Toninato also shared her story after being randomly punched after leaving school.

"So I just got punched in the face walking home. I was literally like leaving class, I turned the corner and I was looking down, and I was looking at my phone and texting. And then out of nowhere, this man just came up and hit me in the face," she said. "I’m actually in shock right now. I’m just like walking home because what else do you do?"

Other women also shared their experiences on TikTok, including Olivia Brand, who explained in her video, "“I literally just got punched by some man on the sidewalk. He goes, sorry, and then punches me in the head.”

It's unclear if Stora was involved in any of the other attacks at this time.

NYPD News shared an update about all the recent punching incidents on X, formerly know as Twitter.

"The NYPD is aware of a viral video circulating on social media depicting a woman who was randomly assaulted in an unprovoked attack. The individual has been arrested and charged and is a criminal recidivist with an extensive criminal record," the announcement reads.

"Your NYPD detectives were able to identify the man after he was previously arrested for similar attacks, only to be released back onto our streets. This incident will be his third arrest in the past six months. Your officers will continue to remain resilient in their efforts to stop violent criminals, ensuring the safety of our communities."

Many shared their thoughts about the announcement.

"Thank you for all you are doing to keep New Yorkers safe from these recidivist criminals and soft on crime politicians!" one person wrote.

Another person shared a different view, "So what is the point to know that he has been arrested when he will be released again?"