MANHATTAN — Police have released surveillance footage of a man suspected of a Morningside Park sex assault that occurred on Sunday.
The suspect is shown walking down the street wearing a black doo-rag, a black shirt and a gold chain.
Police think he sexually assaulted a 29-year-old woman in the park about 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9.
An alert issued by Columbia University said that the woman had been walking on the upper path, near West 118th Street, when the attacker approached. After a short conversation, the man sexually assaulted her, according to the alert.
The incident has renewed calls for increased security in the area, where two separate shooting incidents occurred in June.
The Parks Department said that a new Enforcement Patrol officer, paid for by Columbia University, had been assigned to Morningside Park following the shootings, but Friends of Morningside Park board member Brad Taylor told DNAinfo that sightings of the officer had been scarce.
Friends of Morningside Park has requested that security guards stationed at a booth near 116th Street begin patrolling the park’s upper paths. The group is currently raising funds to install surveillance cameras in the area.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.
All calls are strictly confidential.
