By Nathan Duke
Police said they were searching for a man who sexually assaulted two women during separate incidents in Astoria and Corona last month and stalked another Queens victim near her apartment.
The suspect has been described as a black man in his mid 20s to early 30s, police said. He is believed to be about 6 feet tall and weighs 170 pounds, police said. The suspect was last seen wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt, police said.
The three Queens incidents and another one in Brooklyn all took place between Oct. 1 and Oct. 20, police said.
The first incident occurred in Corona on Oct. 1, police said. The man followed a woman into her building near 50th Avenue and 96th Street in Corona just before 10 p.m., choked her until she lost consciousness and then sexually assaulted her, police said.
The other three incidents happened on Oct. 20, police said. During the first incident, which occurred around 6:45 p.m. in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the suspect approached a 31−year−old woman in the lobby of her building, demanded money and then pushed her to the floor, police said. The man fled the building when another resident entered the lobby, police said.
The second encounter that day occurred around 8 p.m. in Astoria at an undisclosed location, police said. The suspect followed a 25−year−old woman before approaching her and attempting to engage her in conversation, police said. But the woman fled into her apartment, police said.
Later in the day around 11:45 p.m. near 31st Avenue and 29th Street in Astoria, police said the man followed a woman into her apartment building. He choked her until she lost consciousness and then sexually assaulted her, the Police Department said.
Police believe the same suspect is involved in all four incidents and released a sketch of the man last week.
Anyone with information about the incidents can call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1−800−577−TIPS.
Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e−mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 156.
