By Leslie Albrecht
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — A man police believe attacked two women in Riverside Park was caught by surveillance cameras as he left the scene.
The suspected mugger is seen walking on 97th Street at Riverside Drive, bare-chested and wearing red shorts.
In his hand is an iPod police believe he snatched from one of his victims.
Police think he attacked a 19-year-old jogger early Monday morning and, just 20 minutes later, assaulted a 48-year-old woman as she walked her dog.
The second victim, identified by the Daily News as Jan Blumenfeld, was walking her Welsh terrier near 98th Street in the park at about 6:20 a.m. when she was grabbed from behind.
She was hit several times in the head and thrown to the ground. The suspect then kicked the victim in the chest and stomach before running away, police said.
Police are also looking for a second man who they believe witnessed the earlier attack on Marisa Cortright, a Barnard student who was jogging near the tennis courts at 120th Street at about 6 a.m. when she was attacked and slammed into a wall.
Cortright was knocked unconscious and is recovering from her injuries at St. Luke's Hospital.
The second victim was not hospitalized, but sought medical treatment from her own doctor, police said.
She did not report the crime until Wednesday night after seeing media reports about Cortright's mugging, police sources said.
The surveillance camera filmed the man at 7.30 a.m.
Women walking dogs near the attack sites Friday morning said they were upset by the news, particularly because the victim had a dog with her.
"Who would attack someone with a dog?” said Linda Munguia, 48, a copy editor who lives in the neighborhood and was out Friday morning with her Chihuahua mix and a Maltese. "It sounds like just a nut. Nobody would attack somebody with dogs. That’s why I have them.”
Munguia said she generally feels safe in the park, though she once saw a flasher about 15 years ago.
Mary Soyer, of West End Avenue, said walking with her 9-year-old, 53-pound mutt Clara gives her a sense of security.
"In the daytime, I always feel safe in the park,” Soyer said.
By 7 a.m. Riverside Park is usually bustling with dog walkers, joggers and cyclists, Soyer said. But the attacks happened very early on the July 4 holiday, so the park could have been unusually quiet, she speculated.
She said she sees police and park security patrolling regularly.
"Maybe they should start earlier,” Soyer added.
Reports of violent crime have dropped this year in the 24th Precinct, where Monday’s attack on the dog walker happened, according to statistics posted on the precinct’s website.
Last year at this time there were 63 felony assaults; this year there have been 53.
"It’s horrible to have these two events so closely tied, but I can’t say there’s an epidemic of violent crime in the park," said Tom Burnett, president of the 24th Precinct Community Council. "I think that’s not the case.”
The suspect in both attacks is described as a 5-foot-8 black man in his 20s with a thin build and black hair. He was last seen wearing blue shorts and blue and white boxers, police said.
Anyone who may have been in the area or has any information regarding this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit their tips by logging onto www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
