Suffolk police searching for man who raped, assaulted woman in Coram

A woman in her 20s was forcibly raped in a wooded area of Coram Thursday afternoon in a "disturbing" and "unusual" broad-daylight assault, according to acting Suffolk County Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron, who said police were searching for the suspect.

Detectives from the Sixth Precinct said the woman was walking on a trail that serves as a cut-through near Route 112 and Skips Road at 1:45 p.m. when she noticed a man following her.

"At some point he jumped in front of her and grabbed her," Cameron said during a news conference Friday in Great River. "That resulted in an extremely violent assault toward her. At one point, she was knocked unconscious and raped."

The woman, whose identity was not released, was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was treated for her injuries, police said. She has since been released and is expected to make a full recovery, authorities said.

Cameron described the case as an "extremely high priority" for the department and said a "tremendous amount of staff" are out canvassing for witnesses and relevant video that could help identify the suspect.

"This is a very active investigation," Cameron said.

Residents of Coram and nearby communities said the attack would give them second thoughts about traveling alone at night.

"It obviously gets me worried," said Jennifer Hernandez, 18, of Medford. " … It's terrifying hearing that story."

Her friend, Jessica Fuentes, 19, of Medford, called the attack "horrifying. It is scary because I live around here."

Bob Johnson of Coram said the incident was troubling.

"It's just nuts," he said. "Something's got to be done."

But Christian Vargas of Middle Island said the attack was not surprising, noting that the area where the rape occurred needs more police.

"I have a daughter, and at the end of the day I want to make sure my daughter is safe," Vargas said. "I feel completely saddened about [the rape]. They just need to clean it up. It's something that needs to get enforced and regulated."

The suspect is described as unshaven with a medium build. He was not wearing a mask, Cameron said, and the victim did not know the suspect. The department is not investigating any previous rapes similar to Thursday's attack.

"A forcible rape out in the public in broad daylight is very unusual for Suffolk County," Cameron said, advising residents to use caution in the area of the attack. "It’s a very unusual event. It’s a very disturbing event for us and our department. We want to solve this case as soon as possible."

Police are asking anyone with information to call the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652 or Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.

With John Asbury and Cecilia Dowd

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.