Woman Critical After Man Wearing Surgical Gloves, Allegedly Beats And Tries To Rape Her

A 43-year-old Harlem woman is reported being in critical condition after being knocked to the ground, punched and kicked by an attacker who also tried to rape her, police confirmed Sunday.

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) officially released surveillance images of the suspect walking down the street pulling on a pair of blue surgical gloves moments before the attack.

The victim was walking down W. 123rd St. near Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., down the block from her home. The assailant socked her in the head and knocked her to the ground at 11:30 pm Friday. The attacker kicked her repeatedly in the head and body while she was down. He then dragged her between two parked cars on the leafy Harlem street, stripped her clothes off and tried to rape her before fleeing off the scene.

The woman suffered severe head trauma and was taken to Harlem Hospital; she is currently listed in critical condition.

According to neighbors, the victim with mental illness had lived on the block for about a decade. The woman is often seen walking up and down the block asking passersby for money. "She doesn't harm anyone," a neighbor who identified herself only as Chris said. "She kept to herself. She's always out here, day and night. That's a natural thing with her all day and all night. Because of her condition, she's always in a manic state so she constantly moves."

"She doesn't bother anyone, she's just in her own world," Chris added. "She has nice things and she cleans up nice when she feels like it."

The motives of the attack were unclear. Police describe the suspect as a man approximately in his 40s, with a height of 5'8" tall, a dark complexion, and a stocky build. He was last seen wearing a dark green baseball hat, a black face mask, a white hooded sweatshirt with colorful designs and red lettering on the front, black pants, black shoes, and blue rubber gloves.

Anyone with information is urged 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 CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.