SI Man Comes to Rescue of Girl Being Sexually Assaulted

A Staten Island man may have prevented the rape of a local 15-year-old girl when he heard her screams from inside the woods near his home and immediately raced out wielding a baseball bat. The girl was walking to a friend's house on Cleveland Avenue in Great Kills Thursday night around 9:30 p.m. when she was dragged into the woods by her neck by a man described as a heavyset Hispanic male, about 5-foot-5 and about 200 pounds. The girl said to her attacker, "Please don't rape me," and he responded, "No, don't scream."

She did scream and was able to alert 51-year-old Patrick Klatt, who luckily happened to have his door open. Klatt, who has a 19-year-old daughter himself, grabbed a bat and gave chase. The attacker ran off, but Klatt arrived at the girl's side to tell her, "As long as you're with me, nobody's going to hurt you." The girl was released from the hospital after being treated for scrapes and cuts on her legs and bruises on her throat.

While her family is saying they are "forever indebted" to Klatt and eager to call him a hero, he is playing down the incident. Klatt said, "I didn't want to make a big thing out of it. I'm not a hero. I did what anyone should have done. ... The girl needed help and I was there. I was lucky I heard her."

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

By Billy Parker in News on August 29, 2009 10:00 AM

Comments [rss]

GREGORYABUTLER

Patrick Klatt - congratulations for being willing to Man Up, and rescue a young woman from a rapist pervert!

Bort

Whats up with Hispanics and sexual assault?

Manitoba2

Maybe it's the only way they can get any?

I mean, if you're 5'5 200+ lbs, your pecker is probably pretty hard to find anyway, not to mention some serious deficits in the "looks" department - basically a Hispanic version of the humans in Wall-E. Can't imagine he did well on the dating scene.

GREGORYABUTLER

So, let's see

You're a racist

And a Xenophobe (and, as a Canadian, how the hell do you get to look down on immigrants, being as you are one yourself!)

And a anorexite fatophobe

And you are morbidly obsessed with other men's penises.

Congratulations - you won the BIGOTRY TRIFECTA - and special honorable mention for being a pervert!

NannyState

It's great to see everyone on S.I. getting in their Little league practice. Kudos, Patrick Klatt on a job well done.

Snoopy

Was it a wooden softball bat like in the picture or did Mr. Klatt off for a more modern $250+ metal bat? Any mention what the drop was?

SI huh? I would expect a name more like Pasquale "Patsy Big Bats" Clattifonario. Maybe his grandparents shortened their name when they came over. Either way, good move Pat.

jlevine? What are you rambling on about?

[mis]inheritance

The power of a baseball bat. Good work. Everyone should do this when hearing an obvious scream.

arrogantnative

I wonder how many of you little faggot pussy yuppie boys would have done the same thing? I'm sure most of you woudl have ran in teh opposite direction as fast as you could or you would have engaged the rapist in a discussion abotu how society made him the way he is and how it's not his fault.

Peter

When I saw the headline about a rape, and a picture of a baseball bat, I thought ... oh, never mind.

Steven

When they do catch this guy his penis should be cut off.

Snoopy

First good news story out of SI in a long time.

5'-5" 200 pounds. I bet he will be easy to spot in the Pringles' aisle at his favorite bodega. I assume Mr. Klatt stayed with the girl rather than pursue the individual. With that much weight I doubt if he was fast on his feet.

GREGORYABUTLER

In what universe is 200 lbs fat?

Maybe in anorexia world!

Trilby16

Yeah, that's what I focused on too-- the article calls him "heavyset." Being kind. Sounds more like morbidly obese.

But what the heck is this about: "wow you really sound like a piece of shit. Good man? Thank you? it brightens my outlook? this story is not about you and your outlook."

jlevine: Get a grip!

JohnTheDesigner

Good man, Mr. Platt. Thank you.

We need more stories like this. It makes a difference. It brightens my outlook.

hubcap

wow NYers are such gentle friendly people! lol now say more horrible things to me as well

detective jarvis

wow you really sound like a piece of shit. Good man? Thank you? it brightens my outlook? this story is not about you and your outlook.

whitecastlerock

ease up sunshine... you really sound like a fucking sociopath. Go crawl back into your basement apartment now

detective jarvis

apparently someone doesnt know the meaning of the word sociopath. please continue using words when you dont know the definition. and another thing dont reply to comments that are directed at other people you sniveling little shitbag.

whitecastlerock

Hmm an angry little fucker are we? When attacking someone expect retaliation cuntface. I know the meaning of sociopath, perhaps you need some fucking paxil to chill the fuck out...

freddynyc

Levine, step in front of a speeding bus and put yourself out of your misery...

wow 14th street

I hope they catch this rapist and use the BBB on his

head a few times B4 calling the cops.

A nice story of a man helping in a horrific situation.

UnrepentantFenian

This is the definition of hero. He put his own safety at risk for another person, a stranger no less. This city could use more people like this.

laisla

I agree.

He's truly an honorable person who did an important act.

DollinNYC

"I did what anyone should have done"

Should being the operative word, many people wouldn't go the lengths he did to rescue her.

He's a great guy and definitely a hero! It's great to read stories like this - too bad it's so infrequent.