Police: Woman Attacked By Attempted Rapist In East Harlem
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are searching for a man they say tried to sexually assault a woman in East Harlem.
It happened near East 131st Street and the Harlem River Drive around 5:15 p.m. Wednesday
Police said the suspect threw the 40-year-old victim to the ground, pulled down her pants and tried to rape her, CBS2's Kiran Dhillon reported Thursday.
"That's sad. This is more like a private area," one person told CBS2.
The suspect allegedly told the woman, "I am going to kill you."
Fortunately, she was able to fight him off and get away.
A man who works in a building nearby said the alleged assault happened in a nook next to a trailer belonging to a nearby construction site.
"Is it a safe area?" Dhillon asked.
"There's a lot of homeless around, especially toward the train station," he said.
Police released pictures of the man they're looking for. They say he has a medium build and was last seen wearing an orange knit cap, black hooded jacket with a Nike and NFL logo on the front, black shirt over a white T-shirt, black pants, black sneakers and a surgical mask.
Officers spent part of the day putting up flyers in the neighborhood. Police are offering a reward for information that could lead to an arrest.
"It's messed up because he's still running around. That's what's really scaring us the most. That he's still around and it's too close to home," another person said.
Eddy Solis, 22, who lives in the area, said he's concerned for his mother's safety.
"I tell her every day just always watch your back. You don't know who's following you, especially at night," Solis said.
Women who live in the area say they're going to be looking over their shoulders until the suspect is caught.
"Women, we all need to carry safety stuff. Pepper spray," one said.
The victim was taken to the hospital and treated for a cut to her head.
Anyone with information about the suspect 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.
CBS2's Kiran Dhillon contributed to this report.