Park Slope Residents On Edge Following Attempted Rape Of 23-Year-Old Woman
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)-- Police are searching for a man in Park Slope who they say tried to rape a woman during the early hours of Saturday.
It's the latest in a series of sexual assaults that have disturbed the quiet community. CBS2's Esha Ray spoke to residents who now fear for their safety.
The suspect, whose face is clearly visible in surveillance video, pushed a 23-year-old woman to the ground and tried to rape her, police said.
"I mean-- it's really bad. And I wonder why it's happening now. I don't know," Park Slope resident Jo DeRosa said.
The incident occurred around 4:40 a.m. on Saturday when the woman was walking near Garfield Place and was approached by the man. He then pulled down his pants, but was scared off after the woman threw her purse at him.
"That's very surprising in this area because you would think Park Slope is a very calm, safe neighborhood," Elizabeth Espinoza, who works in the area, said.
Last Sunday, a similar attack was caught on camera near Prospect Park. A 34-year-old woman fought off a man who tried to pull off her underwear. In April, a man almost raped at 23-year-old jogger at knife-point just two blocks away from Saturday's assault.
Police said these attacks aren't connected, which isn't comforting to residents because that means there's more than one person on the loose.
"It's really scary-- I actually just had an experience," Park Slope resident Emi Yaegashi said.
Yaegashi was almost a victim herself while jogging in the park. Now she doesn't take any chances.
"So I stopped listening to music when I'm jogging because I want to be aware. Those are little things I'm trying to be careful of," she said.
Other said there's always safety in numbers.
"I don't think you could be out alone, maybe now that this is happened, that late at night. You should take a cab, you just shouldn't be alone," DeRosa said.
The suspect is described as a 25- to 30-year-old man, around 6 feet tall, and was last seen wearing a black hoodie and black sweatpants.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
