What to Know
- A 35-year-old woman was running through Bronx River Forest Park at around 8 a.m. Monday when a stranger tried to rape her.
- The woman was able to escape, but encountered the man a second time and was able to take a picture of him with her cellphone.
- The NYPD is still trying to identify the suspect who is described as 17-25 years old with a slim build.
After fighting off a would-be rapist, a woman ran into her attacker a second time while trying to escape the Bronx park where she was jogging, police say.
The 35-year-old woman was running through a wooded section of Bronx River Forest Park at around 8 a.m. Monday when a stranger came up behind her, according to NYPD.
The attacker tried to cover her mouth with his hand as he pulled her backwards, but she was able to fight him off and call out for help before running further into the park to escape.
The victim ran into her attacker a second time as she tried to find a way out of the park, and was able to snap a picture of him with her cellphone.
She was able to escape the park with minor injuries which were treated at the scene by EMS.
A witness who had been passing the park saw the suspect leaving the scene, but was unaware of the situation at the time.
"We see somebody running. We didn't know what it was and then he just disappeared into the bushes," the witness told News 4 New York.
Local
Neighbors say the park isn't exactly known for being safe, but were surprised nevertheless to hear about the attack.
"The neighborhood is usually pretty safe. I walk my dog late up the street like 10 o'clock at night," said Robin Seamon.
The NYPD is looking for help to identify the attacker using the photo taken by the victim. The suspect is described as 17 to 25 years old with a slim build, as seen in the photo above.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website.
