Pervert sought in attempted child-rape

Flushing residents, members of the Guardian Angels and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) turned up the heat on a pervert who attempted to sexually assault a 7-year-old girl in a neighbor’s driveway, by distributing wanted posters and posting a $2,000 reward.
The unidentified girl was reportedly riding a scooter on the sidewalk near her home on 171st Street near Northern Boulevard about 7:35 p.m. on Friday, July 6 when she was enticed from the sidewalk and then forced into the space between two garages.
According to published reports, the girl’s cries of, “Mommy, Daddy, help me!” and the barking of a pet pit bull attracted the attention of a neighbor, who confronted the assailant. The witness said that he had his pants unbuckled and was attempting to remove the girl’s shorts.
On Tuesday, July 10, the NYPD released a flyer showing a sketch resembling the suspect, described as a white male, 20 to 30 years of age, 5 feet 9 inches tall. He has light brown, spiked hair, and light colored eyes.
A group of Guardian Angels, led by organizer Curtis Sliwa, was invited by longtime Flushing residents Gill Camilleri and his wife Greti at the intersection of 171st Street and Northern Boulevard to help distribute the wanted posters. “We invited them in because there are strangers in the neighborhood who are up to no good” she said.
Sliwa said that his group was encouraging residents to cooperate with the NYPD by calling 9-1-1 when they see something suspicious. “You don’t have to be a big, burly guy to fight crime,” he said. “You can be the eyes and ears of the NYPD.”
He also said they were getting the help of local churches and other groups to get the flyers translated into Korean and Chinese, saying “immigrant groups have always been reluctant to come forward, and that has always led to their victimization.”
Local residents are outraged by the crime. “It’s disgusting” said Rhea O’Gorman, president of the Station Road Civic Association. “We just got a sexual offender out of this zip code. You never think it will happen in your neighborhood.” O’Gorman, a mother of two teenagers who has “lived in Flushing all my life” said she welcomed “all the help we can get.”
The investigation is being handled by the Queens Child Abuse Squad, under the NYPD Special Victims Unit. Detective Cuadrado, who is leading the investigation told The Queens Courier that anyone with information could call his office at 718-261-2737 or “they can call the Crime Stopper Hotline (1-800-577-TIPS) if they want to remain anonymous, and they can still get the reward” if their information qualifies.