Cops hunt rapist wanted for assaulting women in Manhattan green space
Police are hunting a man wanted for a pair of sexual assaults targeting women inside Manhattan’s Highbridge Park.
The spree began with a midnight attack near W. 181st St. and Amsterdam Ave. on Aug. 17, when the suspect grabbed a sleeping woman and ripped off her clothes before assaulting her, cops said. They released images of the attacker on Saturday.
A second woman entered the park near W. 177 St and Amsterdam Ave. with the suspect at 9:30 pm on Aug. 26, when he threatened her with a straight razor and attempted to remove her clothes, according to police.
She put up a fight and managed to flee on foot, suffering only a minor cut to her hand, cops said.
Investigators are looking for a middle-aged man with missing front teeth and blotchy skin, who’s known around town as “Rafi.”
The public can phone tips to the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477.