MANHATTAN — A 51-year-woman fought off a man who followed her into her Lower East Side apartment building before choking and sexually assaulting her Wednesday evening, police said.
The woman entered her building near Canal and Allen streets before 8:40 p.m. Wednesday with the man on her heels, police said. The man followed her to the fifth floor of the building, where he sneaked up behind her and choked and fondled her, police said.
The victim eventually managed to fight off her attacker, who ran fled the scene on foot. The woman was taken to Bellevue Hospital where medical staff treated her for bruising on her hands and neck, police said.
Police have yet to identify the man who was captured in surveillance footage. The NYPD is asking for the public's help in finding the assailant who they say is in his mid-30s and is around 5'9'' tall.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. You can submit tips online at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting them to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
