Police are looking for a taxi driver wanted in connection with an alleged rape in Brooklyn last week.
The female victim had apparently been drinking at a Brooklyn club and was expecting a safe ride home to her Manhattan apartment, police said.
The 26-year-old woman was allegedly raped at knifepoint near Rodney and South First streets at about 6 a.m. on May 6, police said.
She had fallen asleep in the back of the taxi prior to the attack.
When she awoke her hands were tied with a scarf and the driver was raping her, police said.
The cabbie then allegedly stole the victim's cell phone and $20 in cash before pushing her out of the cab and fleeing.
The victim went to a local hospital, where she was treated for lacerations to her hands and face.
New Yorkers were shocked at the violent crime.
"I feel safe in a cab,” said Vanessa Geithner, who was shopping on the Upper West Side today. “I take a picture of his ID if he does anything odd,” she added.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission told NBC New York that drivers undergo a criminal background investigation, a drug test, and fingerprinting.
The suspect is described as a man between the ages of 40 and 45, about 5'8". The victim told cops he was wearing a red and orange turban at the time of the attack.
Anyone with information about the suspect or alleged crime is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
