Not Even Carroll Gardens Is "Safe"

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Second Place in Carroll Gardens is one of the quietest, quaintest streets (places?) in Brooklyn, but one 30-year-old woman wants you to know looks can be deceiving. She was walking her dog around 3 a.m. on May 30th when she was nearly raped near her stoop, by a man who followed her as she returned to her apartment. "When I saw him at the gate, I thought s—, here we go," she tells Brooklyn Paper. "I walked away from my door because I didn’t want him to force me inside. I know it can get a lot worse if they get you inside."

The assailant, described as a 5-feet-6 Hispanic man, about 23 years old, with short, dark hair, punched her in the face, threw her down outside the building, and tried to tear off her underwear, but the victim was able to avert the worst by scratching his arms and screaming as loud as she could. Fortunately, her neighbors came out and the man ran away, but he's still at large.

As the woman points out, "You think that this doesn’t happen here, but it did." If her story has you thinking, here's info on one of the most popular Female Awareness/Self Defense Courses in NYC.

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

By John Del Signore in News on June 15, 2010 11:46 AM

Comments [rss]

Hyori

Does the 'most popular Female Awareness/Self Defense' advise getting a bigger dog than my cat ?

zincink

Sometimes it is good to take advantage of a back yard, if you have one that is...She saw this strange dude at the gate and then got closer to him?

Tower18

What many people fail to consider is that there are a number of very valid reasons for being out at 3am. Many thousands of people in New York City do not work 9-5. There's a whole 'nother part of this city that springs into action after the bourgeoisie go home, and you'll find those people heading home very late/early...and so maybe that's when the dog gets walked.

laisla

Why must they own a dog?

There is something different about meandering around your hood and commuting home

ihaveopinions

There is no place for your common sense here! Begone!

aspiringrapper

Or apparently, for people who know the difference between another & other.

Tower18

Well, I know I've made a good point if all you have to comment on are grammatical trivialities.

wow 14th street

Predators know no limits or good neighborhoods vs. bad.

They are after all psychopathic criminals and take

advantage of any opportunity we might allow them to have.

I would not walk a dog at 3am or go to Central Park at

3 am.

I am glad she survived and was smart not to attempt to enter her home.

I hope they catch this man.

JacqueMehoff

Guess I can add "You can get raped walking your doggie" to my list of "Heat" related quotes.

that slick's no joke.

Ed

"Is it me or is this groundhog day on Gothamist? it feels like every other day there is a sexual felony story against a hispanic who's under 5' 8" on Gothamist."

And its good to see that the Gothamist commenator tradition of blaming the victim is alive in every single one of them.

CaptainWillard

It's not about blaming the victim... But the point remains, it's 3am in NYC. If these people had actually grown up here, they would know that. I'd NEVER have thought to go outside at 3am back in the 80's and 90's... Guess what, the same criminals are still in this city, even if overall crime is down...

poetofsorts

It's horrible but there is NO such thing as a safe neighborhood. Shitty people are every where. End of story.

isla

THIS!

Exactly.

Go!

Didn't realize my comments are being censored. Does Gawker have the same policy?

smilez4milez

You mean this isn't Gawker?

potsmoker

maybe she shoudl apply for a carry permit and learn that the NYPD doesnt consider your snatch worthy of defending.

only rich celebrities and well connected politicos get permits in nyc. dont forget Martha Stewarts daughter has publicly acknowledged that she only has a gun to euthanize her pooches in case of another 9-11.

JacqueMehoff

Check out "whospacking.com" to see who's packing.

they disabled the search function but you can still download the files. Yes, Martha stewart's daughter is on it.