Investigators want to question 43-year-old Julio Mendez in the attack.
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Police say around 11:15 Saturday morning, the attacker struck up a conversation with a 46-year-old woman inside the laundry room of a building on East 13th Street.
He persuaded the victim to follow him outside the laundry room where he then grabbed her by the arm and neck.
According to police, the victim resisted and fell to the ground, at which time the man covered her mouth and attempted to remove her clothing.
She continued to struggle as he sexually assaulted her, but the man fled the scene when the woman screamed.
The victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital via EMS, where she was treated and released.
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Police describe the suspect as a male Hispanic, 5'6", 160lbs, with an average build, medium complexion, short black hair and brown eyes.
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). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
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