Witness who called 911 to report brutal rape of Manhattan jogger claims no one else stepped in to help
‘Nobody even looked in our direction,’ says Good Samaritan who stopped to help sexual assault victim
A witness who called 911 to report the rape of a jogger in Manhattan has claimed that bystanders ignored the victim’s pleas for help.
Police say a 43-year-old woman was grabbed from behind before being choked and sexually assaulted near Pier 45 in New York City’s West Village at 5.30am on Thursday, the New York Post reported.
Her attacker fled on a Citi Bike with her cell phone and wallet, police say.
A suspect, Carl Phanor, 29, was arrested after using the woman’s credit cards at a Target in Midtown.
Gabrielle Sumkin, a 23-year-old human resources worker, told the Post that she was out running when she came across the distressed victim bleeding from her elbows and face.
“She was just kind of saying, ‘I need help, I need help’”.
Ms Sumkin called 911 and stayed with the woman for 15 to 20 minutes until an ambulance arrived.
“Nobody even looked in our direction, which was a bit strange,” she told the Post.
“No one else I think would’ve helped her, which was really unfortunate also. I would’ve liked to see a bit more of a collective effort there from the other runners, there were a bunch of them.”
Mr Phanor was wanted by authorities for a previous sexual assault on the Hudson Riverway in October, and reportedly had 25 previous convictions.
Ms Sumkin said she was sickened to find out later through news reports that the woman she helped had been raped.
Figures from the NYPD show rapes are up 11 per cent so far this year compared to the same period last year.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin claimed the attack was evidence of opponents Kathy Hochul’s failed crime policies.
“Vote like your life depends on it, because it does,” he tweeted.
Robbery and felony assaults have also seen sharp increases in 2022 compared to this time last year, while murder cases are down by nearly 14 per cent, NYPD data shows.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.