Man Helps Woman Up After Fall, Then Follows Her 7 Blocks, Sexually Assaults Her in Stairwell: Police

A man helped a woman who tripped and fell as she walked out of a Brooklyn subway over the weekend, then followed her seven blocks to her apartment building and sexually assaulted her in the stairwell, police said.

Police released surveillance video on Sunday night showing the suspect walking into a bodega in the neighborhood after the attack. 

Authorities say the man, a stranger, followed the 38-year-old victim from the 25th Street R train station to the apartment building near Fourth Avenue at around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, police said. The suspect then followed her up the stairs and grabbed her between the first and second floors. 

A struggle between two ensued, until the victim fell onto the stairs and was sexually abused by the suspect. The suspect then ran off. 

The victim sustained minor injuries and refused medical attention at the scene. The woman told authorities that she did not know her attacker.

Saturday night's attack has several people in the area concerned about their safety, especially when it comes to the women of their families.

"I have five sisters and to hear stuff like this blows my mind," said Razak Abdulla, a store manager in the area. "It's sad."

"Now I'm getting scared, that's very dangerous for my family," said resident Jimmy Sanchez. 

Some are unsurprised that an attack happened because of the faulty entrance door. Jennifer Pereira, a resident in the building, said that doors were a problem prior to the attack.

"[The attack] doesn't surprise me because the doors over here don't even have a lock," she said. "I tried to tell the landlord about that."

The building's landlord told NBC 4 New York that he feels bad for the woman, but he's fixed the door about a dozen times, only for it to be broken again. 

There are no arrests. The investigation is ongoing by the Special Victim Squad.

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