Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Daughter of Randall's Island beating victim says mom had to be resuscitated, undergoing surgery
By
Charles Lane
and
Brittany Kriegstein
Published May 22, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Arya Sundaram / Gothamist
By
Charles Lane
and
Brittany Kriegstein
Published May 22, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The daughter of a woman who was brutally beaten on Randall's Island said her mother had to be resuscitated on Wednesday during surgery and is undergoing another dangerous surgery on Thursday.
The woman, identified by her family as 44-year-old Diana Agudela, was riding an e-bike on her usual route back to Astoria from her job at a Manhattan museum on Friday night when she was attacked around 11:30 p.m. Police said a man walking his dog discovered her six hours later.
Agudela’s daughter, Stephanie Rodas, said her mother was unrecognizable in the hospital because of severe swelling and bruises on her face. In an interview with Gothamist, she said Agudela suffered multiple skull fractures and brain hemorrhaging. She underwent brain surgery Wednesday to remove parts of her skull in order to relieve the swelling, Rodas said through tears.
Agudela was having more parts of her skull removed on Thursday and doctors told Rodas her mother may not survive.
“ I would want everyone to hold her mom tight tonight because I won't be able to hug my mom and hold her tight tonight,” Rodas said. “I would appreciate it if everyone did that for me.”
The NYPD is asking the public to help find the person or people who attacked Agudela. There are no surveillance cameras on the bike path, making it even harder to identify whoever is responsible, police said.
Rodas urged the city to install more safety measures on Randall’s Island.
“ We need more protection, we need more lights,” she said. “It is ridiculous that the park that my mom would ride from to go from work to home had no lights and no cameras.”
“She really didn’t deserve this,” Agudela's mother-in-law Elva Montoya told Gothamist by phone on Thursday. “It hit me like a bucket of cold water.”
“ They told me that last night she reacted a little bit – she was raising her arms as if she was in a lot of pain,” Montoya said. “So they gave her more medication.”
Police officials said that they were still investigating a motive for Agudela's beating, and said she was found missing her e-bike and backpack, which contained personal belongings.
Officials said the evidence so far suggested that Agudela did not know her attacker, but added that they were not ruling anything out.
The NYPD has not said if sexual assault was involved, but the investigation is still in its early stages.
Rodas said police also collected DNA evidence from under her mom’s fingernails.
“ Because they believed that she did fight back,” she said.
Felony assaults – defined as the kinds of serious attacks that can permanently injure someone – are one of the only serious crime categories that have risen across New York City over the last several years.
According to police data, felony assaults reached a 25-year high in 2024, with more than 29,000 reported incidents. They have ticked up slightly so far this year, and experts say the increase among these attacks – especially when the perpetrator is a stranger – are a major driver of perceptions that New York City isn’t safe, despite continued declines in murders and shootings.
Montoya said Agudela moved to New York City from Pereira, Colombia more than 20 years ago to seek a better future with her new husband. She’d been pregnant with her son at the time.
“She is such a hard worker, and a good mother,” Montoya said. “She was a defenseless person who was leaving tired from work, coming back to her kids. We hope police find [the suspect]... they have to pay for what they did.”
Tagged
new york city
nypd
public safety
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
Read more
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Federal judge tosses Trump administration lawsuit challenging NYC sanctuary laws
A Brooklyn judge ruled the federal government lacked standing to challenge city policies limiting cooperation with immigration authorities.
By
Phil Corso
Published Oct 15, 2026 at 9:13 p.m. ET
2 men charged in fatal fentanyl poisoning of NYC college student, alleged rape
Federal prosecutors say one man gave two women fentanyl disguised as cocaine in a Manhattan dorm, then raped one of them while she was unconscious. She later died.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
2 men charged in fatal fentanyl poisoning of NYC college student, alleged rape
Federal prosecutors say one man gave two women fentanyl disguised as cocaine in a Manhattan dorm, then raped one of them while she was unconscious. She later died.
By
Giulia Heyward
NYC spending on homelessness has soared. So has the number of people on the street.
By
Karen Yi
MTA’s Lieber reiterates opposition to ‘fast and free’ buses after violent incident
By
Carol Chen
Avila Chevalier insists her beef is with NYPD Commissioner Tisch, not Mamdani
By
Jimmy Vielkind
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .