A young woman walking back to her car after leaving her job on Long Island was ambushed by a gunman in a ski mask, who forced his way into her car and sexually assaulted her, law enforcement sources say.
A Nassau County Police spokesman says the 4 a.m. attack Wednesday morning appears to have been random.
The victim was walking to her car in a commercial area of West Hempstead, home to roughly a dozen businesses. Law enforcement sources said she was just leaving her job when the gunman surprised her, forced his way into her car and ordered her to drive to a nearby location.
The masked gunman then sexually assaulted the woman and ran from the scene, police said. He's still on the loose.
Investigators have been reviewing surveillance video from nearby businesses to see if it might help identify the attacker.
The woman was treated at a hospital after the incident. The attack does not appear to be part of any wider pattern.
"It does appear as a random attack, a very troubling attack, and we're stepping up our patrols as it's concerning to us, and we want to make sure we bring proper closure to this case as soon as possible," said Nassau Det. Lt. Richard LeBrun.
