Machete Man, NYPD Respond to Hudson River Park Harassment Report

The NYPD presence has stepped up at an athletic field inside a Hudson River Park soccer field in the Meatpacking District after an explosive report in a daily paper said vagrants were harassing girls as young as five years old. The report also attracted a machete-wielding vigilante to the park on Tuesday morning, Straus News has learned.

The efforts at Gansevoort Peninsula Athletic Field come after an Aug. 23 story from the New York Post which detailed a group of “vagrants” repeatedly harassing parkgoers; one couple was reportedly seen sharing intimacies on a bench in broad daylight and others said they heard repeated profane outbursts from a phallic masked man. The story discussed repeated vulgar incidents that were said to occur in front of young girls playing soccer.

By the morning of Aug. 25, a machete-wielding man appeared in the park and told a soccer coach he was there to protect him and his players.

Hernando Gutierrez, more commonly known as “Coach Nando” by his players, can be found at the Gansevoort Peninsula field almost every morning, most of which he admits to seeing some sort of inappropriate behavior or homeless activity.

Shortly after arriving to the field at 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 25, Gutierrez said he was approached by a man with a machete.

Gutierrez said the man—who called himself Juan—went on to show him a photo from the New York Post story and explained he was there to look after the field.

“He came directly to me and he said ‘hey Coach, I want to tell you I’m going to be here if you need something because we have to protect the people, protect the community,’” Gutierrez recalled.

According to the New York Post, the group of approximately a dozen inciters have been known to drink at a nearby 8th Avenue gas station before making their way to the park.

The Sunday story quickly prompted a response from police.

“The NYPD has an increased presence at the location with both Quality-of-Life teams and patrol units responding,” an NYPD spokesperson said in a statement. “Community Affairs officers have been directed to connect with individuals at the location and offer services if appropriate.”

On the sunny afternoon of Aug. 24, people could be seen playing soccer and exercising as usual around 4 p.m.

A couple enjoying views of the Hudson at a nearby bench said they don’t utilize the field, but walk past it often and have never had any issues, adding that “this area always feels safe.”

Dima Kuchko, who has worked next to the field since March at Hudson Plate Cafe, said he has never experienced anything alarming, though he did notice a few police officers in the area the morning of Aug. 24.

By 10 a.m. on Tuesday Aug. 25, one police officer could be seen patrolling the area on foot.

A woman watching a morning practice on Aug. 25 said she has witnessed instances similar to what was described by the New York Post, though it has been “no different than any other park.”

Still, she has noticed an increased police presence since the story was published although police said no arrests have been made thus far.