Search for suspect who threw jogger to ground and groped her in Staten Island park
STATEN ISLAND (WABC) -- Police are searching for the suspect who tried to rape a jogger inside a park on Staten Island last week.
It happened April 3 just before 8 p.m. at Silver Lake Park.
The 53-year-old woman was jogging when she was approached from behind, thrown to the ground and groped.
The suspect ran away and the woman was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
As of Wednesday, no arrests had been made and local leaders responded to concerned residents.
"It's very troubling, especially in a park like Silver Lake, but any park, my view is that any person, a woman, a child should be able to walk or run freely without fear of being assaulted or attacked in any way, shape or form," said Borough President Vito Fossella.
Fossella and other leaders outlined the steps they will take to prevent something similar from happening again.
There are now more officers in and around the park, they're working to get more surveillance inside the park and Silver Lake Park Road will reopen as soon as possible.
The road runs through the park and has been closed since the pandemic.
"To reopen this roadway so that we no longer have this park being desolate during the day and during the nighttime, so that there is more activity and traffic here," said Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon.
No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
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