By Marlyn Montilla
07 Sep 2024, 09:46 AM EDT
A 75-year-old woman was pushed to the ground and nearly sexually assaulted in a horrific early morning attack outside a Brooklyn cemetery on Friday, authorities said.
The elderly woman was outside Holy Cross, near Tilden and Brooklyn avenues in East Flatbush, around 6:30 a.m. Thursday when the hooded attacker ran up and jumped on the victim’s back, police said.
“I’m going to rape you!” the sexual predator whispered, threatening her as he put the woman in a headlock and dragged her to the floor, forcing her to lie face down.
He pulled down her pants and underwear and was about to assault her when her screams scared him away, the New York Police Department (NYPD) said.
The rapist was last seen running west on Tilden Avenue.
Emergency medical services transported the victim to Kings County Hospital for observation.
Officers also recovered security camera video of the alleged stalker fleeing the scene.
He is described as a dark-skinned man with a thin build, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, a brown T-shirt, gray pants and sneakers, the Daily News reported.
WANTED- ATTEMPTED RAPE: On 9/5/24 @NYPD67Pct
in the vicinity of Tilden Ave & Brooklyn Ave, a 75-yr-old female victim was approached by an unidentified individual who attempted to sexually assault her. Any info call us at 800-577-TIPS Reward UP to $3,500. pic.twitter.com/kl4VOQpqsH— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) September 6, 2024
By the end of August, rapes in the Big Apple had increased 11% from 978 in 2023 to 1,087 this year, according to the NYPD.
New York authorities have seen an increase in rape complaints this 2024.
In July, New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said his team will tackle the surge head-on and has added more detectives to the NYPD’s Special Victims Squad to do the job.
“We have increased the staffing of our special victims unit tremendously,” he said. “We are bringing in new talent and we haven’t seen staffing like this in years. We are taking this very seriously.”
The public with information regarding the location of the suspect is urged to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers line at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will remain confidential.
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