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Police Release Video Of Man Wanted In Attempted Rape Of 74-Year-Old Queens Woman

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The NYPD hopes newly released surveillance video will help catch a man accused of attempted rape in Queens.

Police say he forced his way into a 74-year-old woman's apartment and hit her in the head with a glass bottle.

Surveillance video shows the suspect follow someone else into the building near 108th Street and 38th Avenue in Corona. He lingers in the lobby before making his way to the victim's apartment.

Police said the woman answered a knock at her door just before 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. That's when the man allegedly forced his way inside, knocked the victim to the floor, hit her in the head with a bottle and dragged her into her room, where he tried to rape her.

"It's terrible. I mean, never had a problem with this building before. Doors are locked always. We have cameras all around," the building's superintendent, Tom Sideris, told CBS2.

"This is such a big building. You never know who walks in and out. Out of 10 people that come in and out,  you know two of them," said resident Christina Tueros. "It's horrible, because she's not out here all the time. She goes out and in, does what she has to do, and in the night, she's home."

"I know how to protect myself," Tueros added. "I'm scared for my mother, yeah, when she's alone."

Investigators said the woman has lived there for years and did not know her attacker.

"I really don't know, I'm surprised, because anything happen like that before? Never," resident Margie Urena said.

"She no have problems with nobody in the building," resident Emelinda Tejada added.

"We have to be more careful, that's it," said another resident. "It's sad what happened to her."

The victim was taken to Elmhurst Hospital to be treated for a cut on her head from the bottle.

Police sources told CBS2 the suspect did not steal anything before running off.

He's described as a Hispanic man, 5 feet 5 inches tall and 170 pounds, with low cut black hair, last seen wearing a baseball cap, dark colored shirt and gray pants.

Anyone with information about the crime spree is asked to call NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers website, by Tweeting @NYPDTips or by texting a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.

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