Suspect ID'd in Stonewall Inn sex attack on transgender woman
NEW YORK -- Police have identified a suspect in a sex attack on a transgender woman in the bathroom of the historic Stonewall Inn, reports CBS New York.
The 25-year-old victim told police that just after she went into a single-person restroom at the New York City bar around 11:40 p.m. Saturday, a man barged in behind her, claiming he needed to wash his hands, CBS New York reports.
The victim told police the suspect then groped her and sexually assaulted her before running away.
Mayor Bill de Blasio reacted to the incident Monday afternoon, calling it "very troubling."
"Look, it's a very disturbing incident taking place in a site that is very important historically, and where something good happened in terms of creating more opportunity for people to live their lives," de Blasio said.
The Stonewall Inn was granted landmark status in 2015. Resistance to a 1969 police raid at the bar, in New York City's Greenwich Village, sparked days of protests, launching the modern gay rights movement.
The suspect, who is believed to be in his 30s or 40s, is known to frequent the bar on Saturdays, police said. He has dark hair, a goatee and was last seen wearing a shiny gray suit and pointed shoes.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).