A hooded creep sporting a surgical mask and glasses is being sought for molesting a 78-year-old woman after breaking into her Bronx home, police said Friday.
Cops released a surveillance image of the suspect in the hopes someone will recognize him.
The lanky crook crept into the woman’s home near the corner of Graff and Schurz Aves. in Throgs Neck just before 1 a.m. Monday and attacked her.
He came in through the front door, although it wasn’t immediately clear if he forced the door open, cops said.
Once inside, he exposed himself to his victim and then ran his hands up and down her body, cops said.
He ultimately ran off, but not before he swiped her purse, which contained her credit cards and jewelry. He also took two of the woman’s landline phones so she couldn’t call for help.
The victim declined medical attention, cops said. The incident is being investigated as a sexually motivated burglary, cops said.
Scouring the are for video, cops tracked the suspect to a nearby bodega, where he was caught on surveillance camera.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the suspect knew the victim or how he targeted the victim’s home. The Throgs Neck home is on a quiet block of single-family homes nestled between the Bronx’s Ferry Point Park and the East River.
There has been a 10% jump in burglaries in Throgs Neck and other communities protected by the NYPD’s 45th Precinct this year, cops said. By the end of August, cops in the command have investigated 104 burglaries, ten more than the same time last year, according to NYPD statistics.
The suspect is described as Black, in his late teens or early 20s with a thin build. At the time of the attack, he was wearing a dark-colored Nike hooded sweatshirt and black pants. It’s believed he drove to the secluded area in a black Mercedes SUV, cops said.
Police on Friday released images of both the suspect and the SUV to the public, asking anyone with information regarding this case to come forward.
Anyone with information can call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
