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Police Believe Halloween Rapist Stalked Victim
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 3, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 3, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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The papers have a few more details about the Halloween night rape in Chelsea. Police believe the attacker who dressed as a firefighter to gain access to the victim's West 24th Street apartment was definitely targeting her. The Post reports, he "knew her name, where she lived, where she worked, whom she dated and the fact that she had just broken up with someone" and he also "knocked on her door only 15 minutes after she got home," after setting two fires in the building. From the Daily News, the attacker did eat food and use the bathroom during the 12-13 attack (he had drugged the woman), but took all the trash with him, as well as a pair of her high heels. The NYPD is reviewing surveillance tapes from London Terrace to see if they can find the attacker. The son of the building super, who had unwittingly worn the gas mask used by the attacker, said, "If it was up to me, I'd put him in an oven and light it. He wants to be a fireman, let him put out that fire." Newsday says police may have a suspect in the case, but he has not been questioned yet.
We've been looking on the FDNY site to see if there are any directions about when to know to open your door to a firefighter (and how you know if one is authentic), but we haven't found anything yet. We guess you would ask them to see a badge and perhaps have your super's and/or neighbor's numbers ready to call them, to check it out - but if you do smell a fire, such as the case in this attack, what are you to do?
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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