The NYPD is asking for the public’s help identifying the person seen in the attached photo who they say is wanted in connection with a sexually motivated robbery that occurred beside or inside Van Cortlandt Park in the the North Riverdale section of The Bronx. It is the second sexual assault to take place at approximately the same location in a month.

 

Police said that on Monday, July 13, at around 10 p.m., a 56-year-old female victim was opposite of 6661 Broadway at West 262nd Street when she was approached from behind by an unidentified person. Opposite 6661 Broadway means the other side of Broadway i.e. beside or inside Van Cortlandt Park.

 

They said the suspect placed the victim in a chokehold, forcibly touched the victim’s chest, and attempted to remove her clothing. They said he then struck the victim in the face, stole her pursue, and fled the location on foot to parts unknown. The victim sustained minor injuries and refused medical attention.

The incident is the second sexual crime to take place at approximately the same location at approximately the same time at night in the last month. As reported on June 26, following the rape of a 13-year-old girl at the northwest intersection of Broadway and West 261st Street, which is essentially Van Cortlandt Park, a Yonkers man was arrested.

 

Read our prior story for reaction by local residents and calls for greater lighting and safety in the area. The photo of the latest suspect is different from that of the suspect in the case of the 13-year-old. The latter has been released pending his next court date, as reported. He is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

 

Following the rape of the 13-year-old, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81) and Councilman Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11) said they were to arrange a meeting with other community stakeholders to discuss safety in the area. On July 16, they issued the following statement.

THE APPROXIMATE LOCATOIN of two recent sexual assaults in the North Riverdale section of The Bronx in the last month, both of which took place at or after 10 p.m. Video by Síle Moloney

Location of “We convened an emergency meeting with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD, the Department of Transportation, the Parks Department, the Department of Education, and Bronx Community Board 8 to address community safety concerns near West 261st Street and Broadway,” the statement read.

 

It continued, “Residents have raised serious and legitimate concerns, and recent reporting on the park has only deepened them, reinforcing the urgent need for better lighting and a patrol presence in Van Cortlandt Park. We made clear to every agency that the community expects action. The NYPD has assured us there is now a dedicated team and vehicle for the Broadway corridor, along with additional foot patrols in the area.”

The statement concluded, “The Department of Transportation is expediting its study to install street lighting. We continue to press for a dedicated Parks Enforcement Patrol command at Van Cortlandt Park, the third-largest park in New York City, which has long gone without the coverage of a park its size demands. In the adopted FY 2027 NYC budget, the city dedicated $15 million in new permanent baseline funding to permanently secure hundreds of essential Parks Department positions.”

 

Rape is up 100% in the 50th Precinct, which covers North Riverdale, as of July 5, compared to the same timeframe last year.

 

Meanwhile, as reported, rape is 25% in the last 28 days in Patrol Borough Bronx North (PBXN) compared to the same timeframe last year and year-to-date rape in Patrol Borough Bronx North is up 27.3 percent compared to the same timeframe last year. PBXN comprises NYPD Precincts 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, and 52.

 

Separately, an 18-year-old male was arrested following the rape of a 17-year-old girl in the Throggs Neck section of The Bronx on June 14. As also reported, the former commanding officer of the 52nd Precinct was recently arrested for attempted rape of a female subordinate. He has since been terminated. The trial continues and he is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

 

“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, click here”

 

 

Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to call the NYPD’s 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.nypdonline.org/, on X @NYPDTips.

 

All calls are strictly confidential.