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Sex Attack In Bay Ridge Puts Residents On Edge

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD was looking Tuesday for a suspect accused of attacking at least two women in separate incidents in Brooklyn.

Both times, police said, the attacker stole cell phones from his victims and tried to sexually assault them.

"It's pretty scary. I'm like 'Oh my God it's terrible'," said resident Juanita Estrada.

Residents tell 1010 WINS' John Montone the neighborhood is safe and are shocked by the attacks

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"It is scary...you have to watch out when you're walking, look behind you before you just go to your car and open it," Bay Ridge resident Markella Mallas told CBS 2's John Slattery.

Police said the attacks happened Friday night just after 11:00. The first victim was a 44-year-old woman.

 

The suspect allegedly pointed a gun at her back as she was letting herself into an apartment building, pistol-whipped her in the face, and tried to sexually assault her. She was able to fight him off.

Around 20 minutes later, the suspect later attacked a 22-year-old woman. Police said he allegedly threatened the victim with a gun, shoved her behind a building, and sexually assaulted her.

The violence has residents in this community on alert. "I'm really scared. I go out with my husband all day and the nighttime I stay inside most of the time," said Maria D'Alessandro.

Police describe the suspect as a white man between 5'6" and 5'9", weighing 150 to 170 pounds, and last seen wearing a dark-colored windbreaker, a blue hoodie, and tan or gray pants.

Jovan Morales told CBS 2's Kathryn Brown that police stopped him Friday night because he so closely resembled the suspect.

"Because I was wearing a blue hoodie and a Mets jacket, and I got stopped by three cop cars and they stopped four other people on Fifth Avenue, so they were really avid about looking for whoever it was," he said.

The assaults haven't been linked to any others but police said it's possible he has attacked before and they believe he will attack again.

"I know I'm definitely going to be walking around with mace, keys, something. I'm going to use it if it ever happens. Maybe it won't but God forbid if it does I'm going to be prepared," said Renee Voss.

Police consider the suspect to be armed and dangerous and were asking anyone who has any information that can help identify who he is or his location to call them.

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