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Top Democrats have been silent after the latest in a string of violent attacks in Central Park in New York City, where a suspect is at large after police say he sexually assaulted a woman at knifepoint.
A 39-year-old woman was raped in the park around 8:30 p.m. Saturday by a stranger who threatened her with a knife near the intersection of East 67th Street and East Drive, the NYPD said. It was the fifth reported rape in the NYPD’s Central Park Precinct this year, data show.
“This most recent rape was in an area that’s right near $10 million apartments and an area where you would hope that people in this city would feel safe,” said Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector and Fox News Contributor.
Two of the state’s top Democratic leaders, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James, have so far remained silent on the attack—a stark contrast to their highly visible intervention earlier this month in a separate rape case involving seven Cornell fraternity members, where Hochul swiftly appointed James as a special prosecutor.
The NYPD is searching for a suspect wanted in a rape that occurred in Central Park on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (NYPD)
The NYPD responded to a reported knifepoint rape at East 66th Street and 5th Avenue in Central Park. (FNTV)
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“Let something hit the news like the Cornell case and all of a sudden they’re all over the media and they’re on a soapbox and they’re holding press conferences,” Mauro said.
The Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell University, left, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul with Attorney General Letitia James, right. James has opened an active criminal investigation into sexual assault allegations stemming from an October 2024 incident at the fraternity house. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
“We are less than 10 days away from an election, and that has to have a lot to do with it,” he added.
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An NYPD officer walks towards the area where a woman was reportedly raped at knifepoint inside Central Park. (FNTV)
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‘Going in the wrong direction’
The victim in Saturday’s attack was taken to a hospital and is in “stable condition,” police said.
Julie Menin, speaker for the New York City Council, said in a post on X, in part, “I am outraged by this horrific act of violence. My thoughts are with the survivor, and I hope she makes a full recovery. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in our city.”
WATCH: Central Park rape suspect wanted in New York City
The NYPD asked that anyone with information about the suspect or the attack to call the NYPD’s Sex Crimes Hotline at 1-212-267-7273 or 646-610-7272, the 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 Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.
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“Five rapes, five in the confines of Central Park already this year is a very bad number,” Mauro said.
For comparison, around this time last year, the precinct reported three rape cases.
The NYPD is searching for a suspect wanted in a rape that occurred in Central Park on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (NYPD)
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Mauro said the uptick doesn’t bode well for NYC public safety. He said police commanders watch Central Park felonies and subway crime as two “bellwether metrics.”
“Both of those are very much going in the wrong direction,” he said.
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The NYPD said the investigation into Saturday’s attack is active and ongoing.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed it during a news conference Monday morning.
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He said in part, “Our administration is working to ensure that the survivor has the support that she needs to navigate the next steps. We are going to continue to work with survivors at large, as well as providers and city partners, to strengthen prevention and address gaps in support and to also hold perpetrators of sexual assault accountable and to ensure that this is a city that puts survivors’ needs first.”
WATCH: ‘What happened is horrific’: NYC Mayor Mamdani addresses Central Park knifepoint rape
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