Victim In East Harlem Attack Contemplating Suing Apartment Building, Attorney Says
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The victim in an East Harlem attack says she's "absolutely terrified" and says that if not for "the grace of God," she might not have been alive.
As CBS 2's John Slattery reported Thursday, police said the suspect snuck into an apartment in a building on East 106th Street, and forced himself onto a woman who had been asleep.
The victim, 59-year-old Zoila Jara, believed he had gained access to the building either from the roof or from the rear courtyard below, and up the fire escape
Now, her attorney said she may sue the building because the windows do not lock properly, 1010 WINS' Roger Stern reported.
Victim In East Harlem Attack Contemplating Suing Apartment Building, Attorney Says
"It's important to me that this man gets caught. I've never had such an act of physical violence attempted to be perpetrated against my body," the victim said, translated by her attorney.
The woman said she was sleeping with the TV on. A male intruder came through an open window off the fire escape, and grabbed her foot.
The woman recounted that she said, "No, no, no," and started screaming. He told her to be quiet. She said neighbors didn't respond, and her dog didn't either.
But as the screaming continued, the attacker stopped, ran to the window where he came in, and went up the fire escape to the roof.
The suspect is described as a heavy-set, light-skinned Hispanic male, approximately 25 years old, with short black hair, 5'6″ tall and weighing 220 pounds. He was wearing khaki pants and a similar colored t-shirt, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips to the Crime Stoppers website or text their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
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