An 83-year-old woman was followed into her own apartment building near Vermilyea Avenue and West 204th Street just before 9 a.m. this past Monday, and police say the man chasing her tried to force his way inside her home before she fought him off. He fled on foot, and investigators are now asking the public for help tracking him down.
According to the New York Post, police say the suspect attempted to rape the woman after following her into the residential building. The outlet reports that the woman fended him off after a slight struggle, and that the suspect exposed himself while making sexual advances before leaving the scene on foot. She was treated by EMS at the scene for minor injuries, per the report.
Suspect Description and Surveillance Footage
Police have released surveillance footage showing the bearded suspect walking on the street nearby, including video that captures him looking over his shoulder as he moves away from the area, the New York Post reports. He was last seen wearing boots, black pants, a black jacket and a black do-rag, according to the same account.
Tips Sought Through Crime Stoppers
The NYPD is asking anyone with information to come forward through its Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), per the outlet's reporting. Citywide figures present a mixed picture depending on where and when they are measured.
A Citywide Picture That Cuts Both Ways
Reported rape crimes across New York City's five boroughs were up 22% in 2025, with 893 reports compared with 730 over the same period in 2024, according to CBS New York. The NYPD told the station that even without 2024 legal changes affecting how such crimes are counted, reported rapes in the city still rose between 1% and 3%. The picture isn't uniform everywhere, though: through Sept. 9, Brooklyn's 78th Precinct had logged just six rape cases year-to-date, down from nine at the same point the previous year, as reported by amNY.
A separate case last month illustrates how these attacks can unfold in very different settings. In mid-September, a man attempted to sexually assault a 41-year-old woman near Wellhouse Drive and the Terrace Bridge in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, according to amNY. In that case, the suspect grabbed the woman by the neck and began choking her, causing pain and difficulty breathing, before the attempted assault, the outlet reported. Police said the victim and suspect did not know each other, and the attacker fled westbound through the park on foot afterward. The woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment and examination and was listed in stable condition, per amNY, which described the suspect as a 6-foot-2 man last seen in a light-colored baseball cap, a light-colored short-sleeve shirt and khaki pants.
Police continue to urge anyone who recognizes the man in the surveillance footage, or who has any information about the incident, to contact the tip line.
