A stranger pretending to have a package for a woman lured her into the lobby of her building and sneaked into her apartment when she left, where he lay in wait and attacked her when she returned, authorities say.
Police say the 34-year-old woman was in her Pilot Street apartment in the Bronx's City Island when the buzzer rang around 8 p.m. Wednesday. Someone said she had to come downstairs to sign for a package, but she saw no one in the lobby. She returned to her apartment, where she saw a strange man in her foyer with a gun, authorities say.
The suspect grabbed the woman by the hair and dragged her into the bedroom, where he hit her with the butt of the weapon. He then grabbed a small safe from her bedroom, stuffed it in a black Nike bag and dragged her to another bedroom, where he put another small safe in the bag, cops say.
The man then told the woman to stay on the ground until he left, which she did. The woman, who suffered a small cut to her eyebrow when she was hit with the gun, refused medical attention at the scene.
Police say the stolen safes contain cash and personal documents. Surveillance video released by police shows the man, wearing a white ski mask and black hooded sweatshirt, entering the building with the bag. Another shot shows him carrying the safe.
Neighbors were stunned.
"That someone was able to get into the building, get into someone's apartment and rob them and threaten them and hurt them -- that's frightening for everyone in the building and everyone in the area," said City Island resident Shayna Caul.
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The victim told reporters Thursday she was too shaken to speak, but a friend of the victim said she's added new locks to her door.
"I'm scared for her, too," said the friend, Anna Zagreda. "Today, she put like four locks on her door. She added two more locks."
Anyone with information on the attack is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
