A woman sunbathing in New York’s Central Park was forced to fend off a man who attempted to sexually assault her in broad daylight on Monday.
Police said the 21-year-old victim was sunbathing alone in the Great Hill section of the park when an unidentified man approached her shortly after 1:25 p.m. and “exposed himself.”
“She screams and gets up to run,” NYPD Patrol Chief John Chell said at a news conference Monday evening.
“He attacks her from behind (and) she is able to fight him off.”
The suspect — described as a black man about six feet tall — then fled south on West Drive, police said.
NYPD Patrol Chief John Chell described Monday how a suspect “exposed himself” to a victim in Central Park.
Police say 21-year-old woman was forced to fight off unidentified suspect
Police say they have divided the park and are trying to identify witnesses
He is described as having curly hair and was last seen wearing light colored shirts and shorts. He would also be around thirty years old.
The victim was not injured in the attack and drove around the area with police in a patrol car to help search for the suspect, ABC 7 reports.
She is now in a local hospital under great caution, as officers from the Special Victims Unit ask her what she experienced.
She is also expected to work with a cartoonist to have an image of the suspect made public.
The victim was sunbathing alone in the Great Hill section of the park when the man exposed himself to her.
Officers searched the area for the suspect after he fled the scene.
The victim canvassed the area with police to try to find the suspect.
Police say park visitors can expect a larger police presence in the park in the coming days
Meanwhile, police are reviewing nearby surveillance footage in hopes of finding the man and have deployed more officers to the park.
“Right now we’re looking all over the park for any witnesses or evidence that we might find,” Chell said.
“We cut the park into pieces and everyone gets a piece, and they go looking for witnesses.”
As the investigation continues, police say park visitors can expect to see drones flying overhead and an increased police presence.
But officers say they don’t believe the incident was part of a larger criminal pattern.
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