Sketch, surveillance photo released of suspect in brutal Greenwich Village sex assault

GREENWICH VILLAGE, Manhattan (WABC) -- Police have released a sketch and surveillance photo of a man wanted in a brutal sex assault in Greenwich Village last weekend.

The incident happened just before 3:30 a.m. on January 3, in a residence located near West 12th Street and Greenwich Avenue.

According to authorities, the suspect knocked on a 23-year-old female's door pretending to be a neighbor. That suspect also was seen following the victim for several blocks before she got home.

He reportedly asked if something was burning, and once inside of her residence, he slapped and choked the victim. He then removed her clothing and forced her to perform oral sex, police said. The suspect also took the victim's cell phone and removed $250 from her wallet before fleeing on foot.

The victim was treated and released at an area hospital.

The suspect is described as a white male in his 20s, approximately 6-feet tall with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).