Police Hunt Williamsburg Sex Assault Suspect

A woman was attacked walking alone on New Year's Day at about 4:20 a.m.

Police are looking for a man they say sexually assaulted a woman early on New Year's Day in Williamsburg.

Police say the victim was walking on Maspeth Avenue at about 4:20 a.m. Sunday when the suspect grabbed her and pulled her into a parking garage.

He then indicated he had a gun and told her to keep quiet before sexually assaulting her.

Neighbors said Tuesday the garage used by the sexual predator houses mostly hourly rental cars. The door is usually closed, but sometimes renters don't close it.

Anne Pendelton, who has lived on the block for two years, said the neighborhood is a complex mix -- new condo developments sit just steps away from a homeless shelter that houses multiple sex offenders.

"A lot of us knew about this facility where they were registered sex offenders," she said. "I think people here were pretty open-minded and the kind of feeling was 'Stay alert.' They're not super close to us, but they're in the neighborhood." 

Authorities are looking for a man 20 to 25 years old, about 5 feet 8 inches tall weighing 150 pounds. He was wearing a gray hoodie jacket and a dark baseball hat.

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