Police: Search On For Suspect After Woman Grabbed Inside Harlem Elevator
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police say a young woman was stalked and groped by a stranger who followed her into an elevator in Harlem.
It happened back on June 17 inside a building in the area of 7th Avenue and West 138th Street.
CBS2's Marc Liverman spoke exclusively to the 28-year-old victim. She said she didn't know it, but as soon as she got inside her building's elevator, she was being followed.
"He followed me and he held the door and he closed it really slowly, so I didn't know anyone was behind me," she said.
Surveillance video shows the woman waiting for the elevator when at the last second, police said the man followed her on.
"He started asking questions like if I had roommates or if I had a boyfriend," she said. "I didn't think anything of it because it was Sunday afternoon I was just trying to get home."
As soon as the elevator door opened again, police said the man grabbed her from behind.
"I turned around and I was like, 'What are you doing?' and it started to click then I've never seen him in this building he probably doesn't live here," she said.
So she started to scream and then man took off down the stairs.
"I just started screaming for help," she said. "It's very scary, yeah. He knew exactly what he was gonna do."
She said she's hopeful the man gets caught.
"I just wanna make sure that nobody else gets hurt from this same person," she said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
