A 51-year-old woman was raped as she walked to work in Queens over the weekend, police say.
The woman was walking along the Horace Harding Expressway near 168th Street in Fresh Meadows shortly before 6:30 a.m. Sunday when a stranger grabbed her from behind, threw her to the ground and raped her on the sidewalk before running off, officials say.
Those familiar with the area were disturbed by the attack.
"My mother lives in this neighborhood, so this is something to be extremely concerned about," Bruno Faccio said.
The suspect is described as being a clean-shaven man in his 40s, about 6 feet tall with a slim build. He was wearing jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt at the time of the attack, and has short hair, police say.
Police have released a sketch of the suspect. Anyone with information about the suspect or attack is asked to call police.