Man Followed Women To Crown Heights Apartments, Tried To Sexually Assault Them: Police

CROWN HEIGHTS BROOKLYN — Authorities are searching for a man who they say followed two women to their apartments in Crown Heights early Thursday morning and tried to sexually assault them.

The first instance came around 2:30 a.m. Thursday, July 13, near Lincoln Place and Albany Avenue. A 22-year-old woman told police that she unlocked the door to her apartment, and a man pushed her to the ground, police said.

The woman kicked and sprayed mace at the man, and he ran away, according to police. The woman wasn't injured.

Then, about an hour later, the same man followed a 32-year-old woman to her apartment building near Dean Street and Nostrand Avenue, police said, and into the elevator. When she got out of the elevator, he came up behind her and put a hand over her mouth, police said.

The woman was able to push him off and escape, police said. She suffered minor injuries but refused medical attention, according to police.

The man is described by police as black, approximately 6 feet 1 inches tall, slim, short hair, clean shaven and was wearing a black T-shirt with white text across the chest, light colored jeans and sneakers.

The NYPD's Special Victims Unit is investigating both incidents to see if they are related and "an extensive search for video and potential witnesses is underway," police said.

If you know anything about either incident, here's how police say you can get in touch with them:

Anyone with information in regards to these incidents is asked to call the NYPD's 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 WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

Image: Patch file photo