Cops Search For Well-Dressed Sex Assault Suspect In Greenwich Village
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - This sharp dressed man is a creep, police say.
They want your help finding a predator suspected of sexually assaulting a young woman in Greenwich Village last week.
1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reports: Shocking Greenwich Village Assault
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Police said last Thursday around 2 a.m., the man followed a 23-year-old woman -- who was walking home alone from the Meatpacking District -- to her apartment building around Hudson and Horatio Streets.
As the woman entered the building, police say the man grabbed her from behind and then assaulted her physically and sexually.
1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reports the suspect fled by running down a fire escape.
The victim was taken to an area hospital, where she was treated and released.
The slim man, who was wearing a dark suit and a white shirt with a wide collar, was caught on a surveillance video walking in the neighborhood just before the alleged attack.
The suspect is described as 35-year-old Hispanic man, 5-foot-7 to 5-8, weighing about 180 pounds.
Women in the area say the attack is shocking and speaks to the dangerous times we live in.
"There are rapists everywhere," one woman told CBS 2's Kristin Thorne.
Richard King, who lives in the neighborhood, said he always talks to his two daughters, who both live in the East Village, about safety.
"They look behind before they open the house, they check that no one is behind them," he said.
Police are urging other women to follow the same advice.
"There are some suspicious characters at 2 in the morning, be very safe and know your surroundings," Greenwich Village resident Ty Buckelew told CBS 2's John Slattery.
According to the NYPD, 11 rapes have been reported this year in the 6th Precinct – which includes Greenwich Village. The neighborhood is considered one of the least safe areas in the city. According to the NYPD, only Midtown had more crimes per capita than the Village.
Other high crime areas include Hunts Point, Brownsville and the Flatiron District.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
- You can call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). All calls are kept confidential
- You can log on to the Crime Stoppers website
- You can text your tip to CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577
