57-year-old woman gets hit in head with hammer several times at New York subway station

In a freaky incident, a 57-year-old woman was robbed after being hit in the head with a hammer several times at a New York subway station, the police said.

In a news conference on Friday afternoon, New York Police Department Chief of Detectives James Essig said that police are searching for the suspect, who kicked the woman and struck her "numerous times" and fled on foot with her purse.

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The victim has been identified as Nina Rothschild by the woman's family. Rothschild is a scientist for the New York City Department of Health. She was attacked just 15 minutes after leaving from work, the police said.

On Thursday at 11 pm, the woman was attacked by a six-foot-tall male, who was wearing a dark jacket, blue jeans and holding a cane, Essig said.

"This is an unprovoked, brutal and appalling crime on a woman, who was just trying to get home after a day's work," Essig added.

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After the attack, Rothschild was bleeding from brain and taken to Cornell Medical Center with a fractured skull and lacerations to her face, Essig said.

According to her brother Gerson Rothschild, she has had part of her skull replaced with wire mesh.

The woman also has a drop foot. It is a condition where the patient is unable to lift foot. It is unclear whether a nerve damage or a mental block has caused it, her brother said.

(With inputs from agencies)