Police have obtained new video showing a man wanted for questioning who recently raped a woman inside of her Ridgewood apartment passing through a nearby subway station’s turnstiles.
The NYPD released the footage on March 8 hoping that someone will recognize the man, who’s connected to the Feb. 7 rape of a 28-year-old woman as she slept at her residence.
According to the timestamp on the video, the person of interest walked through the turnstiles at 3:23 a.m., or about 90 minutes before the sexual assault occurred.
Sources familiar with the investigation said that the perpetrator and victim were “acquaintances” who had fallen asleep in the victim’s apartment in the vicinity of Gates and St. Nicholas avenues. At about 5 a.m. that morning, authorities said, the woman woke up to discover the perpetrator raping her.
Cops said she was able to break free from her clutches. The suspect wound up stealing her Apple watch and cash, then fled in an unknown direction.
The incident was reported to the 104th Precinct, and the case was subsequently presented to the NYPD Queens Special Victims Squad.
Law enforcement sources described the person of interest as a black man between 27 and 32 years of age, standing about 5 feet, 11 inches tall. In the new security video, he’s shown wearing a green jacket with a fur-lined hood, a black headband, black pants and white-and-black sneakers.
Police did not disclose from which station the footage was obtained. The stations nearest to the crime scene are the Seneca Avenue stop on the M line and the Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenues station, which services the L and M trains.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA), visit the Crime Stoppers website, send a message on Twitter to @NYPDTips or a text to 274637 (CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
