NYPD: Suspect Raped Woman On Upper West Side Street
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police were searching Saturday night for a suspect they said attempted to rape a woman in the early morning hours on the Upper West Side.
As CBS2's Dave Carlin reported, police said the suspect followed the 26-year-old victim and got away on a bicycle.
Police said the incident happened around 5:15 a.m. on Manhattan Avenue. Police said the woman first noticed the man at the intersection with Cathedral Parkway, and sensed she was being followed as she walked one block south to 109th Street.
The victim told officers who responded to the scene that the suspect – who was pushing his red bicycle – approached her from behind before he took her to a stoop and raped her, authorities said.
"That could've been me," said Doll Powell of Morningside Heights. "That could've been anybody else."
NYPD: Suspect Raped Woman On Upper West Side Street
The man then sped away on his bicycle, police said.
Police described the suspect as a white male between the ages of 20 and 25 years old, with brown hair. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt, dark jeans and Converse sneakers.
The victim was taken to St. Luke's Hospital, police said.
CBS2's Carlin spoke to a woman who knows the victim and did not want to be identified.
"All she really needs right now is her privacy," she said, adding that the assailant "needs to be caught."
"Reach out and try to bring whoever did this in," the woman said.
Meanwhile, women in the neighborhood talked with 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria late Saturday. Two women, Mary and Sophia, were very upset.
Sophia said the neighborhood has improved, but problems persist.
"These days, with the new luxury condos; Starbucks, there's more – the neighborhood's gotten safer. However, there are a lot of homeless people in this area; an increased number, and the parks – there are a lot of men late at night," she said.
As the victim was being treated late Saturday, officers went door-to-door in the building where the attack happened to try to find any witnesses.
"Actually, they knocked on my door and woke me up at 5-something in the morning," said Carlos Cardenales. "I live on the back part for the building so I had no access, nor did I hear anything."
The Manhattan Special Victims Unit continued to investigate Saturday night.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). You can also submit a tip by logging onto Crime Stoppers website or text a tip to CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577.
