NYPD releases image of man wanted for beating, raping 53-year-old woman in Queens
A 53-year-old woman was viciously beaten and raped Sunday night in one of Queens’ most bustling commercial districts, police said Friday.
The woman was inside a building on Main St. near 40th Road in downtown Flushing about 10:45 p.m. when a young man in a black T-shirt and white shorts attacked her, cops said.
The man repeatedly punched the woman in the head and face and raped her before running off.
The woman was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
Cops canvassing the area learned the rapist used a local train station.
Detectives recovered surveillance images of the man and released the images on Friday, hoping someone would recognize him.
He’s described as Hispanic and heavyset in his late teens or 20s.
Sunday’s attack comes as cops are grappling with a 10% increase in rape reports this year. As of Sunday night cops were investigating 880 rapes and sex assaults, 84 more than the 796 reported this time last year.
The number of rapes committed by strangers had also increased, as well as domestic rapes, police said earlier this month.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said his team will be tackling the rape increase head-on and have brought in more detectives to the department’s Special Victims Squad.
“We have upstaffed our special victims unit tremendously,” he said during a press conference on July 13. “We’re getting new talent in and we haven’t seen staffing like this in years. We’re really taking it seriously.”
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Sunday’s rapist is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
