NEW YORK – The police now believe three attacks on women through Riverside Park were carried out by the same man, who is still a fugitive.
The NYPD shared an update on the investigation Friday morning, saying they were linked to a third incident.
“Based on the similar crimes and proximity of locations, we believe and are treating these incidents as committed by a single perpetrator,” NYPD Detective Chief James Essig said.
The first attack occurred around 4:40 p.m. Tuesday at the park near West 79th and West 80th Streets on the Upper West Side.
Police said a woman was approached by a man who groped her and made a statement before running off.
Later that night around 10 p.m., another woman was jogging on a bike path off 89th Street when she was grabbed from behind and sexually assaulted. According to police, she screamed and the suspect rode off on a bicycle.
Then, around 4 a.m. Thursday, a woman was tackled to the ground at 59th Street and Riverside Park. Police said she tried to call 911, but the suspect took off with her phone.
CBS New York spoke to people in the area who love the park for exercise and relaxation.
“It’s scary. It’s scary,” said Madison Bollaert. ‘It could have been me. It could have been anyone.’
“They work late or they work odd hours, and they should be able to be off,” another person said.
Anyone with information about the attacks is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477)or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also give a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All conversations are treated confidentially.
CBS New York team
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