A homeless man smiled during his arraignment Sunday morning on a series of “hate crime” attacks this month on random Manhattan pedestrians.
Todd Lyons, 33, had been free on two previous assaults in The Bronx and Manhattan when cops suspect he committed as many as seven new attacks; all the victims in the new attacks are white.
He appeared happy as he learned he’d been charged with felony and misdemeanor assault for three of those latest attacks.
Law enforcement sources have told The Post that Lyons used his fists, or random found objects — including a brick and wood from a broken chair — to strike his victims, sometimes knocking them to the ground and leaving them bloody.
Often, he was shirtless when he allegedly struck.
“Get off the street, honky,” he screamed at a 58-year-old man he punched in the face in Chelsea two weeks ago, sources said.
“This appears to be a pattern of attacks based on race,” prosecutor Jennifer Bilinkas told Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Jay Weiner at Lyons’ arraignment.
“He had made clear his intentions to select his victims on the basis of race.”
His lawyer, Henry Weil, said Lyons is homeless and has no recorded convictions.
Lyons was ordered held in lieu of $10,000 bond; he is due back in court Aug. 29.