A woman walking her dog at a park on the Upper West Side chased off an attacker who put her in a headlock by kicking him in the groin and then biting him in the lip when he went to kiss her, police say.
The 48-year-old woman was walking inside Riverside Park near 107th Street and Riverside Drive at about 5:20 a.m. last Friday, Aug. 5 when a man approached her, police said.
He asked for the time and then grabbed the woman and put her in a headlock, police said, but briefly released her when she kicked him in the groin. He went to put her in a headlock again and tried to kiss her, and that's when the woman bit him on the lips.
The suspect released the woman and ran away.
Violent crime in city parks, not including Central Park, has gone up 23 percent compared to the same time last year, according to the most recent NYPD statistics. Riverside Park rounded out the top five parks with most violent crimes in the city, with 13 incidents in nine months.
Neighbor Erin Campbell, who also walks her dog in the park, says she understands some dog owners come early or late in the park during the summer because it's cooler.
But she notes "there are dark spots, and it's easy for people to be in the shadows," she said.
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Parkgoer Amanda Rivera said the attack is part of a disturbing trend.
"It's sad we live in a society where men commit these crimes, where we can't be safe walking our dog in the morning."
The suspect is described as being in his 20s with a muscular build, with short, brown curly hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a gray shirt, khaki shorts and white sneakers.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
