Woman Assaulted in West 25th St. Apartment Building

The police are looking for a man who followed a woman into her apartment building and molested her in the elevator. The Daily News reports that the victim had entered her West 25th Street building around 12:45AM last Wednesday when a man "pushed" his way into the elevator: "Once inside the lift, he grabbed the woman's crotch over her shorts, police sources said."

The woman fought him off, but the attacker did take her wallet. The police released a surveillance camera photograph of the suspect, who is in his mid-20s, about 6'1" and 200 pounds. There have been a number of sexual assaults in the Lower East Side and East Village, leading to the arrest of a suspect connected with at least one of the incidents, as well as Williamsburg where women seem to be targeted as they head into their apartment buildings late at night. The NYPD has some tips for women to safeguard themselves, but if any of you have other suggestions, please let us know.

And the Post notes that a "serial pervert" was arrested when a cop saw him putting his "hands on a woman's buttocks" on a 5 train headed to Grand Central last Thursday morning.

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

By Jen Chung in News on August 21, 2007 7:53 AM

Comments [rss]

guest

I suppose even the recorded statistic are racist?

Also, on a trip to NOLA, we visited the swamps for an alligator tour. The guide told us that they used N****** & Homos for gator food. I'm sure you might hear this at the Bronx Zoo, right? Yes, of course you are.

Back to the subject...

I suspect that areas filled with drunk girls in iPods are considered easy pickings for rapists.

TN

#11, We're all racists. Most of us are just subtle about it. At least that's what some sociologists say. If you spend enough time here, your inner racist will probably make a brief appearance (before your suppression skills kick in again) at least once. Unlike you, I grew up in this city so I know it's just a "natural" result of so many different races living/working so close to each other without the "buffer zones" (space) you typically have elsewhere. Racial segregation is alive & well in the South as well as California based on what I've seen while spending time in Florida & Southern CA. You just don't confront it in those places as often as you do here.

JRod5417

Oh, don't be sorry guest #31. I just don't have to bill my time AND I can multi-task.

guest

I'm sorry to hear that - I see you have a lot of time on your hands...

JRod5417

NY State Penal Law Section 130.52 (2006) - Forcible Touching- This offense involves the forcible touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of another person for the purpose of degrading or abusing such person; or for the purpose of gratifying the actor's sexual desire. Forcible touching includes the squeezing, grabbing, or pinching of such other person's sexual or other intimate parts. The penalty for violation of this section includes imprisonment for a period of up to one year in jail.

http://law.onecle.com/new-york/penal/PEN0130.52_130.52.html

Just because Judge Weinberg interpreted the law as he did in 2005, does not change the law as it is written.

And yes, I am a lawyer.

guest

Wow. Poor girl. I'm glad she's okay. I live on W 30th and last summer I had a similiar experience. I came home after work (still light out) and was unlocking my mailbox when someone started choking me from behind. I freaked out and I guess he thought it wasn't worth the effort because he tossed me across the lobby and left. I don't know if he followed me in (I'm generally pretty aware and I think I would have noticed that) or if he was in the hallway waiting. Very unnerving.

guest

JRod, hope you're NOT a lawyer LOL

guest

Good news! A pat on the behind does NOT constitute "forcible touching"! Check out May 20, 2005 Gothamist article..

guest

Good news! A pat on the butt does NOT constitute "forcible touching"!

http://gothamist.com/2005/05/20/judge_says_you_can_touch_this.php

guest

#18 Class A Misdemeanor in NY - max one year

Can someone else verify?

guest

#4 I'm sure Jen's husband appreciates your comment

guest

However, it's NOT unlawful to give a woman the thorough look-over on board a subway..?

guest

"Are you kidding...I grew up in the South and also lived out in California and without question, New York and New Yorkers are some of the most racist, bigoted people I have ever been around-that includes the self proclaimed liberal sophisticated ones. For all the talk about the 'melting pot' of the city, I think it's really segregated here too-I think stats show that NYC is far more segregated than other big cities in the country."

The pure truth.

zodak

good for you #16, i tell my friends to do just that but some of them are more concerned with being nice than with being safe.

#14: truer words have never been spoken!

JRod5417

#18- Yes, it does constitute assault. Any "unlawful touching" is an assault even if no physical injury is caused.

guest

fall's coming, electrify your undies and zap'em.

or make a snapping gyro.

guest

Does gently caressing a woman's buttocks, without her consent, constitute sexual assault? Just curious...

Reality Czech

He wasn't just mid-20s, about 6'1" and 200 pounds, he was an African-American, mid-20s, about 6'1" and 200 pounds.

This PC shit is too much.

guest

Recently, I was entering my building and it was just starting to get dark outside... I could hear someone walking up behind me so I quickly opened the front door and slipped in and slammed the door behind me, automatically locking it. I didn't turn around to see who it was because I just wanted to get in safely.

Well, it turns out the person attempting to slip in behind me was my upstairs neighbor. She was angry and I could hear her chewing me out verbally for shutting the door on her (she was on her cell phone).

Since I was already headed towards the stairs, I thought about not saying anything. But I stopped to explain that for my safety, I had closed the door behind me not knowing who was behind me. She gave me a blank stare and didn't say anything but she still looked annoyed. I thought as a woman, she would understand but she didn't care.

I can't win. But I'd rather be hated by her than raped, robbed or killed.

There are times when she's coming and I let her go in first and I wait a few minutes to enter the building after her. Or if she's coming froom behind and I know it, I move faster so we don't have to be at the door at the same time.

Takes a bit of extra energy on my part, but I think it's worth it. I am not holding doors open for ANYONE. My story is: if you legitimately live in my building, you better have keys to let yourself in.