Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
LES Assault Victims: Kidnapped, Raped, and Robbed
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 31, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 31, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
News that the same man may have raped women he stalked outside the downtown club The Box is alarming New Yorkers who regularly hang out on the Lower East Side. The police released a sketch of the suspect, a white man between the ages of 25 and 40, up to 200 pounds, and taller than 5'8".
In the first incident, which occurred on September 30, the suspect grabbed a woman from behind and "made her drink an unknown liquid," before taking her into an SUV. The Post adds that the victim was raped and sodomized, after being driven over a bridge ("possibly the Williamsburg"), and forced to withdraw $500 from an ATM in Forest Hills, where she was left.
Then, this past Saturday, a woman got into a black sedan, thinking it was the car service she called, but it turned out to be a man who, per the Daily News, "drove her to Red Hook, Brooklyn, parked in an alley and sexually assaulted her before stealing her ATM card and shaking her down for her PIN number." He drove her back in Manhattan and dropped her off at Ludlow and Stanton Streets.
Both victims were kidnapped outside The Box; both are also described as being drunk.
The police don't believe the suspect is a patron of the club. A police source told the Daily News, "Something is drawing him back. Maybe he works in the area. Maybe he's comfortable. He succeeded once, so he comes back to the same place a month later."
We asked The Box for a statement about the crime, and their publicist sent us this:
“The owners and management of The Box are appalled and distressed by these two events. The safety of our patrons and our neighborhood is paramount. We are doing everything we possibly can to help the police, our neighbors and the community at large to apprehend the perpetrator as swiftly as possible. Any leads that can be given to the police will be greatly appreciated. Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families.”
When we inquired about whether The Box would be increasing security, helping patrons find taxis, or gently reminding patrons not to drink as much, we were told The Box would not be releasing any further statements at this time.
Tagged
brooklyn
crime
daily news
downtown
east side
events
forest hills
Lower East
Lower East Side
manhattan
new yorkers
news
police
red hook
safety
Stanton Streets
suv
taxis
the box
The Police
the post
williamsburg
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man charged with hate crime at Jewish-owned bagel shop displaying Israeli flags
Prosecutors say the 22-year-old damaged property outside the Fresh Meadows shop twice in May.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 6:07 p.m. ET
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
News
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
High-ranking NYC officials to testify in ex-buildings boss Eric Ulrich's corruption trial
By
David Brand
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
By
Caroline Lewis
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .