Photo courtesy of the NYPD
The NYPD is asking for the public’s help locating the person seen in the attached photo who they say is wanted in connection with a rape that occurred in Van Cortlandt Park close to the North Riverdale section of The Bronx.
Police said that on Tuesday, June 23, Election Night, at around 10 p.m. a 13-year-old female victim was on board a northbound BX9 MTA bus when she was approached by an unidentified person.
“When the victim and unidentified individual exited the bus in the vicinity of Broadway and West 261 Street, the individual grabbed the victim and dragged her into a wooded area inside Van Cortlandt Park,” an NYPD spokesperson said. “The individual then sexually assaulted the victim and fled on foot to parts unknown.” They said the victim was transported by EMS to a local area hospital in stable condition.
Source: NYPD / CompStat
As reported, an 18-year-old male was recently arrested following the rape of a 17-year-old girl in the Throggs Neck section of The Bronx on June 14. In May, a man was sought for following a woman into an elevator in the Melrose section and attempting to rape her.
Year-to-date rapes in the recently implemented Patrol Borough Bronx North command, overseen by NYPD Assistant Chief Aneudy Castillo, are up 27.8%, while year-to-date other sex crimes are up 7.5%. The Patrol Borough North Bronx command covers NYPD Precincts 46, 47, 48, 49, 52, and 50, where the latest rape occurred. In the Patrol Borough Bronx South command, crime has largely fallen in recent months. The South Bronx command covers NYPD Precincts 40, 41, 42, 43, 44.
As reported, when citywide crime statistics for May were recently released, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch noted that overall citywide major crime was down, and the new Patrol Borough Bronx South command similarly saw a decrease in year-to-date index crimes in May. Conversely, much of the Northwest Bronx precincts (52nd, 50th and 46th) saw a rise in year-to-date crime in several major categories. Norwood News asked the commissioner if she had any comments in that regard.
“The crime declines that we have seen generally, in the borough of the Bronx, particularly in the South Bronx, have really been historic across the borough so far this year,” she said in part. “Of course, there are always going to be problem areas, problem precincts, and that’s why we use the CompStat process (NYPD crime data collection tool), and we do deployments of officers to places where we’re seeing crime go up.”
In April, as reported a man was sought for the rape of a 50-year-old woman in Highbridge. In May, a man was sought for following a woman into an elevator in the Melrose section and attempting to rape her. Earlier the same year, a 25-year-old man was charged following the rape of a 16-year-old girl in Fordham Manor.
Source: NYPD / CompStat
To report a sex crime to the NYPD, you should call 911 if you are in immediate danger. For non-emergencies, use the dedicated hotline for the Special Victims Division.
“The Special Victims Unit’s 24-hour hotline is staffed around the clock allowing individuals the ability to report sex crimes and be connected directly and immediately with the appropriate Special Victims Squad who will handle their report,” an extract from the NYPD’s website reads. “To make a report of a sex crime, call our 24-hour hotline at 646-610-7272 or 212-267-7273.”
The extract continues, “The NYPD in conjunction with The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault provides access to the resources and services survivors of sexual violence need in the Sexual Assault Survivor Resource Guide which can be found in every precinct, police service area, and transit district throughout New York City and can also be accessed here.”
The District Attorney’s office also urges anyone who is, or who believes someone they know is, the victim of a sex crime to call the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.
Contact numbers at the Bronx District Attorneys Office, including one for victims of sex crimes, are included below:
| Department | Phone # |
|---|---|
| General Information | 718-590-2000 |
| Bias Hotline | 718-590-BIAS (2427) |
| Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Hotline | 718-838-7344 |
| Civilian Complaint Unit | 718-590-2300 |
| Community Engagement Unit | 718-590-2272 |
| Crime Victims Assistance Bureau | 718-590-2115 |
| Domestic Violence | 718-838-6688 |
| Elder Abuse | 718 590-2260 |
| Immigrant Affairs Unit | 844-590-SCAM (7226) |
| Communications/Public Information | 718-590-2234 |
| U-VISA Hotline | 718-590-VISA (8472)” |
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Sex Crimes Hotline at 1-212-267-7273 or 646-610-7272, the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.
All calls are strictly confidential.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.