Art director describes how he was sucker-punched and knocked unconscious by stranger because he 'looks like Shia LaBeouf'

An art director claims he was sucker-punched because he looks like Shia LaBeouf.

Mario Licato, who works in advertising, was randomly attacked by the stranger on New York's subway and knocked unconscious on Saturday night while he was on his way to Pianos nightclub. 

He has described how he didn't see the assailant until he noticed a fist coming at him.

The punch sent him flying down the stairs at Delancey Street Station on the Lower East Side and, after he fell, he heard someone shouting: 'This is because you look exactly like Shia LaBeouf!'

Mario Licato

Shia LaBeouf

He told Gothamist: 'I was so confused. I was even more confused because I got up and I was like, am I crazy or did I hear him say, "This is because you look like Shia LaBeouf?" 

'And [the couple] were like: "Nope. That's exactly what he said as he was running away from you."'

The couple called 911 and helped Licato up the stairs to the sidewalk to wait for an ambulance. 

One arrived within minutes, but Licato says the technicians didn't help.

He told the website: 'They got out of the car and the first EMT guy, while I'm gushing blood from my face, with my broken glasses, just says, "Welcome to New York, buddy." 'My response was "Well, f*** you, I’m born and raised here." I was like, "Are you kidding me? You're standing in front of somebody who's bleeding out of their face and that's your first response?"' The medics checked Licato for a concussion. 

They found he was clear and said a butterfly bandage would be enough for a cut on his eye. Then they left without even waiting for the police. He then told cops the attacker was in his mid-20s, 6 foot to 6-foot-3, and muscular.

He didn't get a good look at him as he was running down the stairs and boarded the train straight after the hit. 

Licato said it isn't the first time he has been compared to the Transformers and Even Stevens actor.

But he wants to know why the suspect decided to punch him.

'I wanna know what Shia LaBeouf did to him. What did Shia LaBeouf do to him that he punched somebody that looks like him? He must have did something so mean. Did he steal his girlfriend? Did he just see his last performance art piece?'

In the aftermath, Licato also uploaded a picture of his bruised eye to Instagram.

'I wanna thank the guy who randomly decided he needed to hit me last night. "this happened bc you look exactly like Shia labeouf".  'Well sir you boosted my self esteem bc he's p hot,' he wrote.

Culled from Dailymail