Yesterday afternoon, a woman was attacked by a man in a West 81st Street apartment building. Initially, it was reported she was struck by a bat-wielding man, but now it turns out that Rosa Arenas apparently foiled a potential burglar who entered the building after removing an air conditioning unit from a window in the basement. Arenas, who is married to the building's super, said, "He said he was coming to check for leaks in all the apartments."
The attacker was wearing a hard hat and orange construction vest. When Arenas asked him what he was doing, the man claimed he was sent by "Mr. Gardner" to check on some issues. Arenas told him there was no "Mr. Gardner" and then the man started punching her. She told the Post he broke her nose, "There was a lot of blood and I was left lying on the floor. I was scared he would comeback and rape me."
One tenant told the Daily News, "We feel unsafe. The front and back doors are not secure... It's too easy for someone to pose as a worker. No one questioned him because we knew there'd be maintenance going on... It's still New York. You have to be prepared for anything and be aware."
