An Eritrean migrant was arrested on Sunday evening for an attack on two women at the main train station in the Swiss city of Zurich.
The incident occurred at approximately 8 p.m. when the man attacked a 55-year-old Italian woman. An eyewitness told Swiss news outlet 20 Minuten that the victim was left “unconscious, lying in a pool of blood” as the man continued to kick her body on the ground.
A 16-year-old girl, who attempted to come to the aid of the injured woman, was also attacked by the suspect.
The two victims were both hospitalized, according to a police statement. The first victim suffered serious head injuries.
Swiss authorities confirmed on Monday that a 26-year-old Eritrean national had been arrested shortly after the attack, and the case will now be handled by the Zurich public prosecutor’s office.
There is no known motive for the attack; the attacker’s residency status has not been made public.
The attack occurred despite a heavy police presence in Zurich’s central train station this weekend, with authorities conducting 140 checks that led to nine arrests.
Two individuals were arrested for committing several thefts in the vicinity, while two groups of men of North African origin — police say either Algerian or Moroccan — were arrested for possession of stolen goods.
Additionally, as a result of the checks, authorities ordered around 30 people expelled from the station’s perimeter.