Spanish tourist whacked with hammer in New York City park
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A Spanish tourist eating lunch in a park next to New York's City Hall has been bashed in the head with a hammer.
Prosecutors say attacker John Yoos is being held without bail after his arraignment Tuesday on attempted murder charges.
Yoos said nothing as a prosecutor described what she called "a completely random act of brutal violence on a total stranger."
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Authorities say Barcelona resident Hugo Alejandre was sitting on a bench in City Hall Park on Monday when Yoos abruptly attacked him. Bystanders intervened.
Alejandre was treated at a hospital for a spinal fracture and deep cuts. He declined to comment as he left the Manhattan district attorney's office Tuesday.
Yoos' lawyer says the allegations more likely should reflect an assault charge, rather than an attempted murder charge.