Person of interest in custody in Central Park sex assault, police say
NEW YORK -- Police have person of interest in custody in the sexual assault of a sunbather in Central Park.
The person has not been charged yet in the case, was already being questioned about an unrelated case, the NYPD said.
Sources say the suspect was identified from DNA on the victim.
The attack happened in broad daylight last week near West Drive and 104th Street.
The 21-year-old victim was sunbathing alone when a man exposed himself and tackled her, police said. She managed to fight him off, and he ran away.
Police went on to release a sketch of the suspect.
They describe him as being in his 30s, having curly hair and a medium build.
"Honestly, I usually carry mace with me whenever I'm running. I think the city should do more to protect women," one parkgoer said.
"The fact that you can still be in an open space and have that happen, it's very alarming," parkgoer Taylor Negrete added.
The incident comes amid a recent increase in robberies and random attacks in Central Park. Data provided by the NYPD through April 21 showed a spike in robberies in the Central Park Precinct, from three in 2023 to 15 during the same period this year.
Among other random attacks in the park this year, a rock was hurled at "Boardwalk Empire" actor Michael Stuhlbarg in May. Hours later, a woman was bashed with a hammer. Separately, there were two gunpoint robberies two days apart in the park about a month later.
Last week, an NYPD official said he'd like to put cameras in bike paths that are not illuminated, adding that a lot of incidents in city parks happen in areas off the beaten path.
