A man remains at large after police say he threatened a 25-year-old woman with a knife, robbed her and raped her inside a Bronx hotel on Aug. 29, the New York Police Department said Thursday.
NYPD detectives said the suspect entered the Hotel OPUS on East 222nd Street near Ely Avenue in Baychester with the woman at about 9 a.m., then produced a knife, demanded compliance and took $400 from her wallet before sexually assaulting her. Emergency Medical Services transported the victim to Jacobi University Hospital Medical Center, where she was listed in stable condition. The assailant fled the scene and was last seen heading south on East 222nd Street, police said.
The NYPD released surveillance footage showing the still-unsurrendered suspect knocking on the hotel door and later jumping a subway turnstile. Law-enforcement officials said it remained unclear whether the meeting between the suspect and the victim had been prearranged or whether the man followed her to the hotel.
Police described the suspect as a man with a dark complexion, wearing glasses, a white T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers, and carrying a black backpack. Detectives asked anyone who recognizes the man or has information about the incident to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted online at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or via X at @NYPDTips.
Investigators urged anyone with additional footage from near the hotel or along East 222nd Street on the morning of Aug. 29 to come forward. Police did not release the identity of the victim and confirmed the investigation is ongoing.
Sexual assault and robbery investigations in New York City typically involve collection of forensic evidence and review of nearby surveillance video to track suspects’ movements. NYPD officials said detectives were examining available footage and leads but provided no estimate for when the suspect might be located.
No arrests were reported as of Thursday. The department continued to ask for public assistance in identifying the man seen in the released images and footage.