Cops seek woman’s attacker in North Bellmore sexual assault
A 25-year-old woman who was hit on the head while walking on a North Bellmore street and sexually assaulted in the backseat of a car, fought off her assailant by kicking him, police said Monday.
No arrests have been made in the attack, which occurred about 2 a.m. Sunday, when the woman was walking west on Porter Street near Porter Place, police said.
But investigators are working on a sketch of the alleged perpetrator and are increasing patrols in the area in an effort to ward off more attacks. Cops are also scouring the area in search of video surveillance that may have captured images of the attack or the suspect’s vehicle.
The suspect, described as a 6-foot-tall man in his 30s with a very large build and a goatee, struck the victim from behind in the head with an unknown object and knocked her to the ground, said Det. Lt. Richard LeBrun, a police department spokesman. The suspect then carried her into the backseat of a black sedan with tan interior and sexually assaulted her, police said.
“She was able to kick him and flee the area,” said LeBrun, adding that the victim ran and called police on her cellphone. The suspect, who was wearing a dark sweatshirt and blue jeans, fled in his car.
Police described the inside of his vehicle as “extremely messy” and being full of garbage.
The victim sustained a bruise to left side of her face and contusion on her head from the attack, police said.
LeBrun said there’s “no indication right now” that the victim and the suspect knew each other or had any prior contact, but that investigators are examining all possibilities, including that the suspect was following her.
Police would not say where the victim was heading at the time of the attack, and did not disclose if any words were exchanged between the two.
But LeBrun lauded the victim for her actions and encouraged others to act in the same fashion.
“You kick, you scream, you bite,” the lieutenant advised.
Anyone with information is asked to call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS. Callers will remain anonymous.
Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.
