Police Investigate Midtown Rape

A 37-year-old woman was raped in her building early Monday morning, and police believe the rapist waited in the stairwell of the West 36th Street loft building before attacking the woman. The victim, described as a painter, had left her fourth floor apartment around 1AM to buy groceries; when she noticed the motion-activated light on a lower landing turn on, the victim tried to run but the attacker caught her. The Daily News reports he "tied her to the railing by her T-shirt and sexually assaulted her."

The victim's boyfriend found her when he came home, because he was worried when she didn't call him as she promised to do. The police found that netting over a skylight had been pried open and collected evidence from the roof. All computers and hard drives were also taken; the victim's ex-husband claims that she had complained of being the target of "unspecified crimes and harassment."

The victim and her boyfriend were the only residents in the commercial building. The super, Jose Nunez, told Newsday, "They're very polite. They've been very good tenants," while Abraham Fofanah, who has a messenger service on the third floor, said, "It makes me very scared. I have female workers in the building. The building is usually well-secured - no way to get in and out without a key...Except maybe if the roof is unlocked." The Post notes that the roof is "part of a series of connected rooftops between several buildings that all have fire escapes."

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By Jen Chung in News on June 19, 2007 11:47 AM

Comments [rss]

guest

Hey #7, you're an idiot...

http://www.beast-enterprises.com/ccw.html

guest

#5 here....

This attacker would have thought twice about raping this poor girl had he thought she may have been carrying a gun.

Rapist, muggers, and psychos should be shot in the street by law-abiding citizens. It works in other places, why not here?

guest

#13 - why do you say that? Yes, people should try to be careful because you never know what might happen, but that doesn't mean that we should live in fear, expecting to be attacked at any moment. I think that you're comment is impractical and absurd, if one were to live that way, how would you make it in this city?

metropolisist

#13 - you proclamation is at best, impractical and at worst, absurd

guest

Poster #20: Why did you leave out native Americans? We are always the forgotten people. Thanks for reinforcing that.

guest

To previous guest.

Why not white or Asian. Because you think they have smaller dicks so they won't rape? Racist.

guest

as a white rapist I find it appalling why so many blacks and latinos are raping. It makes me question my place in society. I want to rape, but if it places me in the same bracket as those lowlife blacks then forget it. I am stopping raping altogether. First the faggots started rollerblading and I had to stop and now blacks raping. I hope they don't ride in NASCAR, or I will go bonkers.

guest

Question: black or latino?

guest

Any of us should be able to live WHEREVER we want without fear or expectation of attack. Period.

Except this has never been true in the history of the planet so when you care to rejoin the rest of us in reality. . .

Dave Hogarty

[15] When the guest comments start to be particularly bothersome, feel free to engage the HIDE GUEST COMMENTS function at the top of the Comments page.

guest

I know it's ironic that I am posting as a guest to say this...but you should really just get rid of the guest function in the comments and make *everyone* register a permanent name and traceable email to write a comment on here. With the guest function, the issues that caused you to set up a registration system can be bypassed, leading to the same old shitty hateful comments like #5, #7, #1, #3, and so on. Unless you are actually serious about the registration system, there is no point in having one.

guest

Something is fishy, they are the ONLY residential tenants in a COMMERCIAL building?

OK, working late is one thing but are they living there? Something is not right.

"the victim's boyfriend found her when he came home"? was this after his shift? Must be because if this happened around 1am.

to quote sgt. Esterhaus, Hey, let's be careful out there.

guest

Any of us should be able to live WHEREVER we want without fear or expectation of attack. Period.

guest

Agree with #10 - there are many people who work late hours in buildings. Just as the owner of the messenger service says, he's got employees too, he's worried. Sure, a criminal might lurk more often at night, but it could happen during the day, too.

The boyfriend is a part-time bartender at bar in the East Village and an artist, per the articles.

guest

Maybe fault is the wrong word but the reality is that the world is not a safe place and your choices do influence your safety.

guest

It's not the victims fault. She didn't ask for this, whether or not her choice of residence, or grocery shopping hours, are considered appropriate by others.

guest

Hey #7, good job taking the troll bait and showing us your bigotry! You're a class act all the way!

guest

exactly, when you're living in a commercial building, it's best not to make waves is what I'm saying. Going for groceries alone at 1 am is not a good idea.

Now that this happened, all sorts of agencies will be looking at it. Now the building department can fine the landlord and open a whole can of worms.

I believe the painter is living with her boyfriend, is he a painter, too?

guest

#5 texan?

go back, please.

there are not statistics that prove that the legality of carrying a concealed handgun is a deterrent to crime.

guest

People, she's a painter! A lot/most working artists work/live where they can no matter commercial zoned or not. No doubt this is her studio as well, you sometimes take risks living in shady buildings in order to be able to afford live/work space. I've seen some pretty scary buildings where female artist live but you make do and stay aware as best you can. If someone wants to attack/rape you, they'll do it no matter how secure you try to be.