Police: Man Pushes 29-Year-Old Woman Into Bronx Building Lobby, Attempts To Rape Her
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)-- A woman is sharing her story after facing off with an attacker who almost raped her. The crime could have been much worse if it wasn't for her brave action.
The 29-year-old victim was followed down a residential street around 8:30 on the night of April 25. The suspect followed her up the steps to her building and inside to the lobby, CBS2's Dave Carlin reported.
Once there police say the suspect roughed up the victim and tugged at her clothes. The victim said her attacker whispered "it's okay" and told her not to resist.
But she fought back.
She spoke with CBS2 from behind a front door, not wanting to show her scratched face. She said it took all her might and fight to make the would-be rapist think twice and leave.
In Spanish she says, "Thank God, I'm okay."
Her neighbors call the victim brave.
"You never know when something bad is going to occur and I think it was very good of her to fight off," Kacy Reinhardt said.
After the attack, the landlord for the building improved security with additional door locks.
The victim told CBS2 she is scared because her attacker has not been caught and she worries about her young daughter. She said she hopes everyone else in the neighborhood is now more on guard.
The suspect is described as a black man in his 30s, 5 foot 5 inches, weighing about 180 pounds.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).