Caught On Video: Suspect In West Village Sex Assault
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are searching for a man accused of assaulting a woman in the West Village over the weekend and threatening her with a gun.
Surveillance video shows a clear image of the man police are looking for. He is seen walking down Hudson Street. Investigators said he approached the 20-year-old victim near Barrow and Greenwich streets at around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Police said the unidentified man came up behind her, pushed her to the ground then told her he had just gotten out of jail and had a weapon. He then sexually assaulted the woman, CBS2's Natalie Duddridge reported Tuesday.
"That definitely makes you want to be more alert and more concerned," area resident Paige Maloof said.
"I don't walk around after dark," another person said.
Police said the woman had dropped off a friend at the 14th Street bus stop and then as she was walking home she video called her friend for safety reasons. As she was on that call, the man attacked.
"It's awful. Streets like this, it should not happen," one man said.
"It's alarming but not altogether surprising. It's sad," another man said.
The suspect, who was said to be wearing an Adidas shirt and a hat, took off running.
The victim was taken to Beth Israel Hospital for evaluation and, despite being shaken up, is expected to be physically OK.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
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