Police Release Surveillance Video In Rape, Robbery Of Woman In Rittenhouse Square
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Police have released surveillance video of the suspect wanted in the alleged sexual assault and robbery of a woman inside her Rittenhouse Square apartment (see related story).
It happened around 12:30 a.m. Saturday along the 1900 block of Spruce Street.
FULL SURVEILLANCE VIDEO:
Authorities say the 26-year-old woman, a doctor at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, was followed home by a man after she left a nearby bar. Sources now say the suspect was on a bike, then parked and locked the bike on the street before attacking the victim. In the video, the suspect can be seen accosting the woman from behind as she arrives to her apartment, grabbed her around the waist, and forcing her inside.
The quality of the video may not be great, but police say what you can see shows the suspect is bold and brazen.
Once inside police the suspect raped the victim and then fled with her cellphone and keys. Sources say the victim was so traumatized, she didn't even realize the suspect left.
But the suspect apparently wasn't finished.
Sources say the suspect returned a short time later because he left his messenger bag behind. Police said the suspect raped the victim again.
"It's very upsetting, very surprising, very angering," said Catherine Chang, who works at the hospital where the victim also works, but does not know her.
"I found out because our program director emailed all the girls in our program and asked if we were OK," said Amy Pearlman, who also works with the victim and lives nearby.
City leaders call the crime heinous and see the need for more cameras.
"Would this have prevented this particular crime? I don't know. But the reality is wherever we have the need to have real time surveillance, we need to do it," said City Council President Darrell Clarke.
Police sources say authorities hope to release more surveillance video soon. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, about 5 foot 7 inches tall, wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans.
Investigators are looking at the surveillance video to determine what, if anything else, they can discover about the suspect.
Police say they are following up on a number of leads, but so far have no arrests.