Video Shows Man Attacking Woman In Queens Apartment Building

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Queens woman fought off a violent attacker inside her own apartment building.

As CBS2's Erin Logan reported Tuesday, the attack was all caught on camera.

The surveillance video shows the man follow the 28-year-old woman into an apartment building in at 43rd Avenue and 42nd Street in Sunnyside, Queens around 12:30 a.m. Sunday.

He then pushed her against the wall and covered her mouth with his hand to stop her from screaming, police said.

But the woman did scream and fought back and the suspect ran off, police said.

The woman was not injured and nothing was reported stolen.

CBS2's Logan spent a lot of time taking with people who live in the building. They said they have felt safe in the area for years, but over the last few months they have noticed it's pretty easy for strangers to walk right through the door.

Neighbor Blandeau Turley said she is always prepared for the worst.

"Scream my head off, that's what they tell you to do," she said.

Earlier this week, Turley and other residents wondered why a flier was hanging at the front door warning residents about an "incident." Then, she saw the surveillance footage on CBS2 News This Morning.

"I said, 'Oh that's my building,'" Turley said.

Neighbor Brian McGeever said the flier had been posted for "at least a couple days."

They later learned it was the victim herself who posted the fliers.

"Oh, well that's not so great…. I thought it was the management," said Teresa Mendez.

Residents also said for months, it has been easy to follow people inside the doors. As Logan demonstrated, the outside front doors now close quickly – but residents said that was not the case until after the attack.

"I guess people don't pay no mind till an incident happens like this," McGeever said.

While CBS2 was talking to neighbor Turley, the building superintendent -- who wanted nothing to do with CBS2's camera -- repeatedly told her, "It's always been like this."

Not so, according to Turley.

"Off and on it's been like that," she said.

CBS2 called Kings and Queens Maintenance Service to ask when the door was fixed and why they never informed residents of the attack. They had CBS2 on hold for 13 minutes, and later sent us this statement:

"The surveillance footage submitted to the police shows that the victim was directly followed into the building by the attacker when she entered the front door. The lock on the front door is in working condition."

The company did not answer CBS2's questions, so CBS2 emailed them again. The company said the door has been in working condition and said it had no additional comment.

All of the residents said this was a lesson for all to be aware, and to make sure the door is shut tight before you walk away.

Meanwhile, police also suspect the same man in another incident on Sunday, March 12. Around 12:20 a.m. that morning, he allegedly walked up to a 39-year-old woman while she was shopping, briefly chatted her up, and then grabbed her buttocks, police said.

The suspect then fled the store.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.