A woman who was jogging in a Bronx park on Monday fended off an attempted rape, then snapped a photo of her attacker after crossing paths with him again, police said.
According to the NYPD, the 35-year-old woman was running through a wooded area of Bronx River Forest park at 8 a.m. on Monday when the man attacked her. Investigators say the suspect approached the woman from behind, putting his hand over her mouth and grabbing her chest to pull her backwards. Police sources told the Daily News that the man was masturbating in the bushes just before attacking the woman.
The victim was able to fight him off, and yelled for help as she ran deeper into the park. But she crossed paths with the man once again as she was leaving the park, and managed to snap the above photo.
Police say the suspect remained in the park after the woman fled. He is believed to be between 17 and 25 years old, and was last seen wearing a white hooded sweater, black shirt, black shorts and white sneakers.
The woman was treated for minor injuries on the scene.
On Tuesday, the NYPD announced that overall crime had declined in the first six months of 2018, while rapes have spiked by 34 percent over that same period.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website.
UPDATE: The NYPD says that they've arrested a 14-year-old male based off enhanced video surveillance and photographs of the individual reportedly seen in the park. He has been charged with attempted rape and harassment.
