MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CRIME & JUSTICE

Harlem woman, 43, fighting for life after being beaten by creep who tried to rape her

The suspect has been described as a male in his 40s, 5’8″, with a dark complexion and a stocky build

HARLEM, NEW YORK: A Harlem woman, 43, who was brutally thrashed by a man who tried to rape her is fighting for her life. The NYPD released a video showing the suspect putting on latex gloves on Friday, March 18, just before the attack. The incident took place at around 11:30 pm on West 123rd Street between Lenox Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, police said.

“He was walking right behind her when you see him putting the gloves on in the video,” a police source said. “He pounced on her right after that.” The suspect tried to rape the victim between two parked cars, kicking her multiple times and going on to 'curb stomp' her.  It’s unclear why he stopped his attack but he eventually left her for dead and fled.

READ MORE

Alexander Jay: Homeless man throws nurse, 62, down the stairs at Seattle light rail station

NYC woman raped and beaten INSIDE church by homeless man, saved by priest who heard her screams

The victim was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem in critical condition. She sustained severe head trauma. The suspect has been described as a male in his 40s, 5’8″, with a dark complexion and a stocky build, New York Post reported. He was last seen wearing a dark green baseball hat, a black face mask, a white hooded sweatshirt with colorful designs and red lettering on the front, black pants, black shoes and blue rubber gloves, police claimed. 

Police have urged anyone with information to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). They can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All of these calls remain absolutely confidential. 

Neighbors in the area said that the victim had lived on the block for about a decade and was suffering from mental illness. They claimed she would often be seen asking passersby for money on the street. Daily News, quoted a man who only identified himself as Chris as saying: “She doesn’t harm anyone. She kept to herself. She’s always out here, day and night. That’s a natural thing with her all day and all night. Because of her condition, she’s always in a manic state so she constantly moves.”

“She doesn’t bother anyone, she’s just in her own world,” Chris added. “She has nice things and she cleans up nice when she feels like it.”

Just days ago in a similar case of violence against a woman, a man was arrested after he allegedly punched a woman, 67, over 100 times in New York. He also spit on the woman and stomped on her seven times. The brutal attack was caught on video. The woman was attacked last week by 42-year-old Tammel Esco, who used the word “Asian” when he cursed at her. He has also been charged with one count of second-degree assault as a hate crime for the attack, which lasted more than 90 seconds as captured by surveillance cameras.

The woman suffered multiple contusions and lacerations to her head and face. She was found with facial bone fractures and suffered from bleeding on the brain. Police confirmed that she is stable and recovering in a hospital.

Esco was arraigned in Yonkers City Court and is being held without bail at the Westchester County jail. His criminal record includes previous felony convictions.