By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
A neatly dressed tourist taking pictures in Times Square was caught off guard when a visibly agitated woman blocked her path and then attacked her. The 34-year-old long-haired blonde woman was walking with a friend and photographing their surroundings with a point-and-shoot camera when the aggravated passer-by confronted her and stood in her way.
The confrontation at West 46th Street and Broadway, across the street from a Forever 21, led to a verbal exchange which quickly turned into a scuffle. The alleged aggressor, Deanne Ostbye, 30, was wearing ripped sweat pants and a hooded sweatshirt with the names of New York neighborhoods printed on the front.
Ostbye, from Tacoma, Wash., allegedly knocked the blonde woman knocked down to the ground. The victim's personal belongings were scattered along the sidewalk. The assaulted tourist was seen on the sidewalk with a bleeding gash on her head when a nearby police officer came over to break up the fight.
The victim looked frightened and shocked, Alberto Reyes, a photographer who captured the incident told MailOnline. She was taken to Roosevelt hospital where she was treated for her head injury. Ostbye was yelling out ‘freedom of speech’ as the police officer told her to stay still, Reyes said. She was moving around ‘very anxiously,’ he said.
The attacker was smiling as Reyes took her photograph. She was arrested and charged with assault and reckless endangerment, New York Police Detective Brian Sessa told MailOnline. According to Ostbye's Facebook page, she is engaged and a fan of watching The Simpsons and hiking.
