The Cooper Park Houses in East Williamsburg, a public housing complex in Brooklyn, was the site of an incident that drew public attention after a 12-year-old girl was reportedly assaulted inside the building. According to ABC7NY, the incident occurred on Thursday around 5:45 p.m., when a man identified as 27-year-old Eric McMichael allegedly approached the girl as she entered the building and raped her in a stairwell.
McMichael, who resides at a men’s shelter in Brooklyn, was taken into custody the following day. According to the NYPD, he has been charged with rape and other related offenses. Police stated that the suspect allegedly ambushed the victim and fled the scene after the assault, as reported by CBS News New York. Members of the Cooper Park community expressed deep concern and distress following news of the incident.
Following the incident, the girl was immediately taken to a local hospital and is reported to be in stable condition. In an interview with ABC7NY, her mother described the impact of the assault, expressing concern over the disruption to her daughter’s life, saying she is normally a “happy child.” She added, “She dances, she cares about her friends a lot, good grades in school.”
Terrence Scott told CBS News New York, “It should never have happened,” and asked the suspect, before his arrest, to “Turn yourself in. You're sick, you're an animal. You need to turn yourself in.” The NYPD is asking anyone with information about the case to call their Crime Stoppers hotline or send a tip through their website or Twitter.
