Suspect sought in 4 attempted rapes in Crown Heights in less than 4 hours

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Search for suspect wanted in two attempted rapes in Brooklyn
Nina Pineda speaks to residents in Crown Heights.

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Police in Brooklyn are searching for a suspect wanted for four attempted rapes in less than four hours.

Surveillance video of the suspect shows him wearing a t-shirt with a phrase using the "F" word three times. In the next surveillance photos, he's shirtless, running away bare chested after all four victims in the separate incidents managed to fight him off.

The first incident happened on last Wednesday night just before midnight inside of an apartment building near Pacific Street and Nostrand Avenue in Crown Heights.

He followed a 22-year-old woman into her building and put his hand over her mouth outside of her apartment.

Police say he pressed her against the hallway wall and touched her saying he wanted sex.

She screamed and fought him off and he ran away.

The second instance happened just a little more than an hour later at 1 a.m. inside of a building near St. Mark's Avenue and New York Avenue.

The suspect followed the 29-year-old woman to her apartment and pushed her inside when she opened the door.

The individual placed his hand over the victim's mouth and wrapped his other arm around her body. She fought back and the suspect again ran away.

Yet a third incident happened on Thursday at around 2 a.m. inside a building near Albany Avenue and Sterling Place .

It was the same MO. He followed a 22-year-old woman into her building and pushed her inside her apartment when she opened the door.

The suspect placed his hand over the victim's mouth and dragged her down to the floor.

He touched her genitals as he told her he had a knife and would kill her if she didn't keep quiet.

The victim fought back and kneed the individual in the groin.

He then fled the apartment and out of the building.

His last known attempt happened around 3:36 a.m. that same morning. He again followed a woman into a building at Pacific Street and Nostrand Avenue.

This time, he followed his 32-year-old victim onto the elevator.

When the elevator stopped on the victim's floor and she stepped off, the individual placed his hand over her mouth and attempted to pull her down to the floor.

The victim screamed and punched and kicked at the suspect.

The man released the victim and fled the building.

He is described as in his 20s, 6'0" to 6'2", with a goatee; last seen wearing a black shirt with white lettering, light blue jeans, a black baseball cap and white sneakers.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).