Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Central Park Rape Victim "Prayed To Stay Alive," Says She Reported Earlier Incident
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 15, 2012
Modified Sep 15, 2012
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 Sep 15, 2012
Modified Sep 15, 2012
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
The 73-year-old woman who was beaten and raped in Central Park on Wednesday is continuing to speak out about the attack. In an interview with WABC 7 (watch it below), she recounted how the suspect, David Mitchell, was an animal who "thoroughly" raped her and "beat the sh*t" out of her and that she "prayed to stay alive." And she refutes the NYPD's claim that she never reported an earlier incident of Mitchell allegedly masturbating in the park.
The victim had been in the park near Strawberry Fields when she was attacked, telling the NY Times, "Some of the newspapers mentioned that after I saw the guy masturbating, I didn’t report it. I did. I reported it." She added, "There was a park ranger who came by, and I stopped him immediately and showed him the picture. And I said: ‘Look at this picture. This guy is in the Ramble.’ And the ranger said, ‘Oh, O.K., I’ll look out for him.’"
The rangers, who work for the New York City parks department, are not law-enforcement officers, but assist park visitors in various ways. The ranger walked toward the Ramble, and the woman believed she had done all she was supposed to.
“I felt that was enough,” she said.
Vickie Karp, a spokeswoman for the parks department, referred questions about whether the victim approached a ranger and what rangers’ responsibilities in such situations are to the Police Department.
Paul J. Browne, the chief police spokesman, did not return an e-mail asking if the department was aware that the woman, according to her, had alerted a park ranger after she spotted the man masturbating. Mr. Browne said earlier this week that the situation had not been reported to the police.
When she was attacked on Wednesday just before noon, the victim said that the suspect said to her, "You remember me?" and then assaulted her while threatening to kill her.
According to the Times, the victim has a photography blog that is mostly about birds about it's also about Central Park quality of life:
[S]he also was not afraid to train her camera on people she regarded to be breaking park rules, often snapping photographs of those who let their dogs run off-leash, bicyclists riding on park paths designated for pedestrians, and children in rowboats without parental supervision or life jackets, she said.
“No photographer walks around with a camera in a bag,” said the woman, who is an unofficial guardian of the park she cherishes. “It’s like a gun. You pick it up and shoot.”
...[S]he sometimes uses her blog as a kind of wall of shame. She posted a photo of a man who let his dog run unleashed and wrote that throughout the park there were signs saying that dogs must be leashed at all times. She continued that the owner thought the rules did not apply to him.
Earlier this week, she told the Post that she would definitely go back to the park and that her attacker should be killed, adding, "Cut off his penis."
Tagged
assault
Central Park rape
david mitchell
nypd
park ranger
rape
report
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
Residents, lawmakers warned for months of potential for deadly ICE activity in Marble Hill
A Target store parking lot has become a focal point for activists over ICE’s presence in the neighborhood.
By
David Brand
Published Oct 9, 2026 at 4:36 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 9, 2026 at 5:03 p.m. ET
Manhattan DA argues judge shouldn't dismiss state charges against Luigi Mangione
He pleaded guilty to separate charges in federal court this summer.
By
Samantha Max
News
Manhattan DA argues judge shouldn't dismiss state charges against Luigi Mangione
He pleaded guilty to separate charges in federal court this summer.
By
Samantha Max
Feds blame NYC's sanctuary policies for violent ICE arrest in Marble Hill
By
Arya Sundaram
Attorneys argue man shot by ICE in Marble Hill should be released
By
Ben Feuerherd
,
Ryan Kost
,
Samantha Max
and
Arya Sundaram
Pencils down: NYC lawmakers want to switch back to paper tests as state mandates screens
By
Jessica Gould
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 .