The NY Post reports that a 23-year-old woman was attacked when a man forced his way into her apartment last Sunday. The article states that around 8:10PM, the man pushed her into her foyer and punched her in the face when she opened the door. The woman's roommate appeared and started to yell; with both roommates screaming, the attacker left.
The police believe the attacker meant to rob the apartment. A tenant in the building at 402 East 69th Street said, "I have two daughters, and they are afraid to go out and come home because someone could be following. It's scary when it happens near your home."
The article doesn't explain how the attacker may have entered the building or whether the apartment building had a doorman or not, but WABC 7 says that the attacker followed the woman to her door. If you live in a building that just has a locked vestibule, it's not a bad idea to ask the super to make sure the locks work properly. Here are some crime prevention tips from the NYPD, including, "Don't buzz someone inside unless you know them." and "If you live in an apartment, don't be polite and hold the lobby door open for a stranger who has been waiting. " Here's a security consultant on preventing home invasion robberies, and The Big Apple looked at the origins of the phrase "push-in robbery."
