Teenager Fends Off Rape Attempt In Riverside Park

A man attempted to rape a teenager in Riverside Park at West 116th Street yesterday afternoon, but the 17 year-old manged to fend previously convict rapist. Santiago Morales, 58, grabbed the young woman who was on her way to play tennis and took her to a wooded area. He held a knife to her neck as he told her take remove her clothes. However, she managed to shove him and run away, calling the police at West 122nd Street. Police arrested Morales are attempted rape, public lewdness and weapons possession.

Morales raped a woman in the park in a tunnel around West 115th Street in 1986 and was sent to jail for 16 years, emerging in 2003 having finished two-thirds of his sentence. Police are investigating whether or not Morales may be connected to other crimes in the area, including being questioned about the murder of Juilliard student Sarah Fox (the police doubt he was involved the Fox murder).

This is yet another warning that when you go to the park - any park, whether you're male or female - you need to be very careful. Riverside Park has a few different levels - the park at street level, the promenade, and then the tennis courts and skate park near the water - and while there usually are many people around during the day, the stairs from level to level are wooded and twisty. (A security guard in the area told Newsday, "This park is a perfect place for criminals.") Riverside Park is a beautiful place - just be alert. Here's information about the Riverside Park Fund. Also, there was a terrible rape and robbery in Greenpoint the other day: Men kidnapped a woman, made her withdraw money, and then raped her. Police have released a sketch.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on August 6, 2004 9:00 AM

Comments [rss]

990000

hm... not sure about the German Shepherd thing -- as you can't always be with a dog. plus, there's the pet issue with apartments.

it's like 2004 and people still haven't figured out how to deal with this kind of stuff. and we're supposed to be some kind of advanced society.

they should make mace that shoots out of an iPod or something.

michelle

Even better than mace: a scary looking dog. Nothing makes you completely safe, but I know I certainly feel better when walking through the park with my German Shepherd.

Rebecca

I think that police recommend that people be trained in the handling of mace and not just carry it around willy-nilly. Also, as with any weapon, it is easy for a stronger attacker to take it from you and use it against you.

990000

just out of curiosity, does anyone know if the use of mace is generally recommended? for women in rape situations, that is. I wonder if they should be selling mace at corner delis. would that deter rapists if they knew women might be carrying mace with them at all times?

rachelle

ew. that's so gross. and dumb. why would he stay in the area? if i tried to rape a girl and she got away i'd get the fuck away from there asap. didn't he learn anything from his first conviction!?

KeithS

According to the Daily News, they found him choking his chicken in the bushes.

Josh Sucher

I'm so curious as to how they caught him. Was he stumbling around the same place where he attacked her, waving his knife in the air and waiting for police?