July 26, 2020 By Christian Murray
A 51-year-old woman fought off a man who attempted to rape her in Forest Park Saturday.
The woman was walking on the Orange Trial inside the park when a man came up from behind at around 6:30 p.m. and attempted to rape her.
The suspect, according to police, initially tapped her on the shoulder before striking her in the back of the head. He then pushing her off the hiking trail and into the shrubs. From there he allegedly pulled down the woman’s pants causing her to fall to the ground.
The man then placed some clothing around the woman’s neck and began to choke her while attempting to sexually assault her. The woman, however, fought back and called out for assistance. The man then fled west toward the parkway underpass, according to police.
The victim was taken to an area hospital, where she was treated and released.
The suspect is described as Hispanic, approximately 30-years-old, and was last seen wearing dark shorts and black sneakers.
Anyone with information in regard to the identity of the suspect is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).