Woman Speaks Out After Attempted Rape In Bensonhurst
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Brooklyn mother of two who was followed and attacked as she walked home from work is talking about the terrifying ordeal.
A man tried to rape the 34-year-old Bensonhurst woman around 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 5, police said. Surveillance video released by police shows the long-haired suspect chasing the victim up to her front porch.
The victim, whose identity CBS2 is protecting, said she now lives in fear.
She said the man started following her on 19th Avenue and 74th Street as she was walking home from her bakery job. He grabbed her from behind and started kissing her neck, police said.
She broke free and ran home.
The victim said she couldn't unlock her front door, so the suspect ran up onto the porch, terrorizing her with a threat to return, CBS2's Hazel Sanchez reported.
Her husband tracked down the suspect immediately after the attack, the victim said. The two got into a fight and the suspect bit a part of her husband's finger off, the victim said. The suspect then vowed to go back to the family's home with his friends to finish what he started, Sanchez reported.
"He threatened her saying that in any of these days that he will come and rape her because he knows where she lives," said Maribel Rojas, who is the victim's friend and lives in the same multi-family house.
Rojas and many of her neighbors said they can't believe the attack happened on their peaceful block.
"I was really shocked because you never see this stuff going in here," Rojas said. "It's kind of scary."
"I'm here 32 years. This block is nice," said neighbor Rosa Stragapede. "It's very scary because ... we have all the time the door open."
The victim hopes the public attention will help police catch her attacker, who remains at large.
Police describe the suspect as a Hispanic man in his 20s, about 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin build and long dark hair. The victim said she believes he has a piercing in his nose and/or lip. She said he's definitely violent.
Anyone with information was asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, log onto the Crime Stoppers website, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577.