JACKSON HEIGHTS — A masked man raped a 35-year-old woman as she was walking home from work in Jackson Heights early Wednesday, police said.
The suspect followed the victim for a few blocks in the area of 84th Street and 35th Avenue around 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 2, according to officials, before demanding money and putting a sharp object to her throat.
He then pulled her into an alley between two houses and raped her, police said. The man fled in an unknown direction after running down the backstreet and climbing over a fence leading to 83rd Street.
The victim was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, according to an NYPD spokesman.
Surveillance video released by police Saturday shows the suspect minutes before the incident donning a mask and hiding behind bushes as he waits for the woman to pass.
He is described as 5-foot-4 with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a mask, a dark-colored shirt and jeans.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477).
