Police are on the lookout for a man who viciously attacked and tried to rape a woman in Central Park in the early hours of Saturday morning, adding to the rising crime rates in the iconic New York City attraction.
A 38-year-old woman was assaulted near 85 East Drive in the northern part of the park at around 5:10 a.m. on Saturday by an unknown assailant, according to the NYPD.
The attacker pushed the victim over a metal fence, punched her multiple times in the face, and attempted to rape her before fleeing the scene on a bicycle, heading north on 5th Ave, as per police reports.
Surveillance footage shows the suspect wearing a hoodie and a backward baseball cap while riding a bicycle, with images also showing him carrying a large food delivery bag on his back.
The victim was taken to the hospital by EMS and is currently in stable condition.
Crime in Central Park has seen a 13% increase year-to-date and a 34% increase compared to two years ago, according to NYPD data.
Two rapes have been reported to Central Park precinct officers so far this year, matching the same period in 2023. However, robberies have more than doubled with 37 reported incidents this year, along with an increase in assaults.
As of Sunday morning, no arrests had been made in connection to the incident.
