By Michael Ventura
DNAinfo Managing Editor
MANHATTAN — Police released additional surveillance images Thursday of a suspected serial sex fiend who tried to attack a teen girl at knifepoint on the Lower East Side earlier this month.
The man was caught on video attacking the teen in an apartment building elevator on April 14.
He was seen on the tape, released by the NYPD, following the 17-year-old girl into the elevator, gesturing to her to choose a floor and then pulling a hood over his head before he attacked her.
He then forced her into a stairwell at knifepoint, where he tried to sexually assault her, police said.
But the girl fought him off and was uninjured, police said. The alleged attacker then fled.
The man allegedly had struck once before in January, police said. He followed a 19-year-old girl into an elevator of another Lower East Side apartment building, forced her into a stairwell at knifepoint and sexually assaulting her, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).