Suspect identified after woman choked with belt, raped on NYC street: police
NEW YORK - UPDATE: Police say a person of interest is in custody. Click here for the latest updates.
The NYPD is on the hunt for 39-year-old Kashaan Parks, the suspect allegedly behind the brutal sexual assault that took place in the Bronx this month.
Police say the incident happened at around 5 a.m. on May 1.
In a horrific video that has gone viral, the victim, a 45-year-old woman, is seen walking on the sidewalk at East 152nd Street and Third Avenue when the suspect, obscuring his face with a white towel, approaches her from behind, takes out a belt, and wraps it around the woman's neck.
The man pulls the woman to the ground, holding her until she loses consciousness, before dragging her between two cars and sexually assaulting her.
The suspect then fled the scene on foot, heading towards Melrose Avenue.
The victim was taken to NYC Health & Hospitals/Lincoln in stable condition.
According to the latest NYPD statistics, there has been a 5.1% increase in rapes this year. As of May 5, a total of 511 rapes had been reported in the city,
Anyone with information in regard to this incident 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 Twitter @NYPDTips.
Police say all calls are strictly confidential.
