Police in Manhattan are searching for a perp who allegedly followed a woman into a building and robbed her, ending the crime by performing a “lewd act” in front of her on Sunday.
According to law enforcement sources, the 38-year-old woman was walking into a residential building near West 44th Street and 9th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen at around 2 a.m. on Nov. 17 when the perp followed her inside and demanded cash.
After the woman objected, the suspect rifled through her purse and snagged her cellphone and several debit cards.
Adding insult to injury, the suspect then performed a “lewd act,” in front of the woman, police said, before fleeing on foot to parts unknown.
Authorities could not confirm if the victim lived in the building where the crime occurred, located in the Midtown North Precinct, but she was not injured as a result of the ordeal.
Police on Monday released surveillance photo and video of the suspect. He is described as having a medium complexion and slim build. He was last seen wearing a black Nike hat, black jacket with fur on the hood, blue jeans, and black and white sneakers.
So far, no arrests have been made, but police said the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding the incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
The 18th Precinct experienced a nearly 70% increase in robberies year to date compared to the same period in 2023, according to the latest CompStat report. Overall violent crime is also up 8.42% in the precinct using the same time comparison.
