Police Identify Man Who Followed Woman Into Apartment, Attacked Her
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A woman in the East Village escaped an attacker last month with the help of her roommate, and now, police have identified the man who assaulted her.
The quiet East Village neighborhood near Avenue A and East 12th Street has been rocked by news of a bold attempted assault.
"It's terrifying. Like, I'm a young girl. I live here by myself. I've been in New York for almost four years in different neighborhoods. I'm actually new to the neighborhood, so it's kind of concerning," East Village resident Chris Mallon said.
Police say around 1:45 a.m. on July 26, a young woman was walking home from a nearby 7-Eleven when 22-year-old Tyler Lockett followed her to the building and pushed his way inside her apartment.
Surveillance video shows Lockett moments before the alleged attempted assault.
Police say he told the victim to "shut up" and covered her mouth with a plastic bag to keep her from screaming.
"Early morning is when they're out in full force," East Village resident Erick Aguilar said. "You can see it up here, over here on 14th Street and First Avenue, you'll see a whole group of unsavory individuals."
Investigators say the victim's roommate was home, and when Lockett heard her slam a bedroom door, he took off and hasn't been seen since.
Police say the young woman wasn't physically hurt, but she is still shaken. CBSN New York's Jessica Moore ran into her on the street in the East Village.
She identified herself as the woman who was attacked and, with tears in her eyes, said she couldn't talk about what happened.
"I think we gotta be on a little bit of an alert until they start fixing this stuff," Aguilar said.
"Definitely going to be more aware now. That's concerning," Mallon said.
Lockett is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds. Neighbors say until police catch Lockett, they'll be looking over their shoulders and likely not walking home alone.
Police say Lockett was previously arrested in January for a home invasion robbery. He allegedly forced his way into a 23-year-old woman's apartment, fought with her and stole her purse.
