The NYPD deployed officers throughout Central Park on Monday afternoon to investigate a sexual assault that took place in the area, officials said.
NYPD Chief John Chell said that “heavy resources will remain” in the park as it investigates the alleged assault.
Police said the incident took place around 1:30 p.m., when a woman was sunbathing in the Great Hill section of Central Park. The victim – who the authorities identified as a 21-year-old white woman – attempted to flee before being tackled from behind by the man, who was identified as a black male in his 30s, the NYPD said.
The victim was able to fight the person off, police said, but he fled the scene before he could be apprehended. The victim was transported to a local hospital, authorities said.
“We’re going to keep Central Park, and we’re going to continue to be out here until we feel that this perpetrator is off the streets,” said Tarik Sheppard, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for public information.
The authorities were combing the area for witnesses and obscure cameras that may have recorded footage of the incident, the NYPD said.
Robberies in Central Park have more than quadrupled this year, according to police. There have been a string of crimes reported in Central Park in recent months, including at least four that occurred in one weekend in April, alone. The NYPD said it would begin upping patrols – and police presence, in general – in the area.
The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.