The West Village attack on a jogger took place around 6:30 a.m. Sunday, after a man on a bike pushed a woman down, choked her and sexually assaulted her before stealing her cellphone, police said. NBC New York’s Gaby Acevedo reports.
Police are looking for a bicyclist they say pushed a woman to the ground and sexually attacked her on Pier 40 on the Hudson River Greenway jogging path in Lower Manhattan over the weekend.
The 39-year-old woman was jogging north on the path near Clarkson and West streets around 6:15 a.m. Sunday when cops say the bicyclist rode up to her.
He started choking the woman after shoving her to the ground, then grabbed her cellphone and rode off.
The woman was taken to a hospital for evaluation. She suffered bruises and injuries.
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This latest violent incident has many in the neighborhood, particularly women, worried as many locals frequent Hudson River Park frequently, including Sara Lipson, a local who goes to the park for her daily workout.
"It's very unfortunate," she said, calling for a greater police presence "on the street and where people exercise at odd hours."
Meanwhile, Jim Brown, another local, said that one can't ever assume a "place is a safe place just because it's open and well-lit."
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Police released surveillance footage of the suspect (above). The video shows the suspect riding his bike around West Street and Charles Lane just moments before the attack on the woman. Police describe him as a man with a beard, about 20-to-30 years old.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
