A 13-year-old girl was raped late Tuesday after stepping off a northbound Bx9 MTA bus near Broadway and West 261st Street and being dragged into a wooded section of Van Cortlandt Park, police said. The attack happened at about 10 p.m., and the suspect ran off into the park’s trails. The girl survived, and her name has not been released because of her age. Investigators are describing the attacker only as an unidentified individual and have not announced any arrests.
🚨WANTED FOR RAPE: On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at approximately 10:00 P.M., a 13-year-old female victim was on board a northbound BX9 MTA bus when she was approached by an unidentified individual. When the victim and unidentified individual exited the bus in the vicinity of… pic.twitter.com/GWErxGIOyM
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) June 27, 2026
According to NYPD Crime Stoppers, the assailant approached the girl while she was riding the Bx9, forced her off at the Broadway and West 261st Street stop, then dragged her into the park’s wooded area. The bulletin lists the case as occurring in the confines of the 50th Precinct and notes that the suspect fled on foot. Crime Stoppers says tips that lead to an arrest and indictment may be eligible for a reward of up to $3,500.
Where it happened
The Bx9 runs along Broadway through Kingsbridge and up toward Riverdale, putting the Broadway and West 261st Street intersection next to several Van Cortlandt Park entrances, according to MTA Bus Time. Van Cortlandt Park covers more than a thousand acres and includes miles of forested trails and quiet pockets that are dim after dark, per the city’s parks department at NYC Parks. That mix of busy transit stops and largely unlit trails can make it harder for officers to find witnesses and puts a premium on surveillance footage and cellphone video for detectives.
Investigation and tips
Detectives from the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit and the 50th Precinct are leading the investigation, and the department says its Special Victims Unit maintains a 24-hour report line for sex-crime complaints, according to the NYPD information at NYPD Special Victims Unit. The NYPD lists its Special Victims Unit hotlines as 646-610-7272 and 212-267-7273. Anyone with information can also contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS or submit tips online, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers.
Local transit context
The Bx9 corridor has been the subject of other Crime Stoppers bulletins this spring as riders reported robberies and assaults, and local reporting has shown that investigators often rely on surveillance and cellphone video to identify suspects. Coverage of a recent incident where a teen jumped for headphones on a Bx9 in Kingsbridge is among several wanted alerts tied to Bx9 stops in recent months. Riders and community groups say clearer lighting at bus stops and faster access to camera footage would help detectives and make people feel safer using the route.
Legal notes
Because the victim is a minor, police say the case is being handled by the Child Special Victims squads within the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit, which oversees sexual-violence investigations and victim services. If an arrest is made, the case would be prosecuted by the Bronx District Attorney’s office. Authorities are urging anyone who has video or information to preserve it and share it with investigators rather than trying to confront any potential suspect.
Anyone with information is urged to hold on to any video evidence and call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or the Spanish line at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or to submit an anonymous tip online. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. Police stress that members of the public should not attempt to approach or apprehend the suspect.
