A man choked and attempted to rape a 30-year-old woman on a sidewalk of Greenwich Village, a neighborhood in New York City, while walking on her way to work, Sunday morning. However, the victim screamed for help and managed to fight the man, authorities said.
The man, Obafemi Crosland, 28, allegedly attacked the woman on Sixth Avenue close to West 13th Street. The alleged perpetrator pushed her up towards the wall and wrapped his hand around her neck. The suspect then touched the lady with force and attempted to pull down her pants, court documents stated.
According to the police, the woman from the outer boroughs was walking on Sixth Avenue between 13th and 12th Streets, near Murray's Bagels, at around 5:00 am when a stranger came towards her.
The victim struggled in the hands of the attacker. She screamed, asking for help, then managed to fight him off as she bit the man's hand in defense. As the woman resisted, the suspect fled but was still arrested minutes later few blocks away at Fifth Avenue and Eighth Street.
Manhattan district attorney, Police Officer Maureen Carey from the Village's Sixth Precinct recounted what the victim told the police and recalled what she observed during the suspect's arrest. The victim is referred to as the "Informant."
"I am further informed that as a result of the above-described actions, Informant sustained redness, swelling and substantial pain to her wrist and neck." she said. "I observed a bleeding laceration on the defendant's hand."
Croslando of Jamaica, Queens, has been criminally charged for attempted rape in the first degree, sexual abuse in the first degree and strangulation in the second degree.
The police did not immediately provide more information about the suspect. The District Attorney (D.A.) asked the bail be set at $50,000 cash or $150,000 bond. However, Judge James Clynes lowered the bail to $10,000 cash or $35,000 bond.
Crosland is currently being held at Rikers Island, according to the "Inmate Lookup Service" of the Department of Correction. He is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds. His next court date is scheduled for Friday.
