Caught On Video: Woman Tackled, Sexually Assaulted On Brooklyn Sidewalk, Police Say
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are trying to track down the suspect behind a chilling attack that was caught on camera in Brooklyn.
Surveillance video shows the man follow then tackle a 35-year-old woman from behind, knocking her to the ground.
Police said it happened shortly after 8 p.m. Monday near the corner of Morgan Avenue and Stagg Street in East Williamsburg.
The assault terrified people who work in the area, CBS2's Kiran Dhillon reported.
"It's sad that you can't walk anywhere and be comfortable enough to walk and not worry that someone is going to attack you," Dena Pecorella said.
It's believed the man reached inside the woman's shorts and grabbed her buttocks before running off.
Surveillance cameras captured a clear image of the suspect, who was last seen running east on Stagg Street.
"He didn't care at all. Just goes to show you how brazen people can be. They just don't care," Pecorella said.
One woman said she plans to move because the neighborhood is getting too dangerous.
"It's really close to home," the woman said. "It's just gotten real bad since the pandemic. It's just real dirty, disgusting, loud."
Police said the victim was not physically hurt and refused medical attention.
The woman and Pecorella said they'll pay more attention to their surroundings until the suspect is caught.
"Turn my music down a little bit more, not have the noise canceling on, be a lot more aware," said the woman.
"Oh definitely more now, especially when I leave to go home," said Pecorella.
In the meantime, both women said they'd like to see more police officers patrolling the area.
Anyone with information about her attacker 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.
Editor's note: This post and video originally appeared on July 1 and were edited on July 7.