Elected Officials Applaud Man Who Halted Queens Sexual Assault
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Officials in Queens promised to track down the man who sexually assaulted a woman in Sunnyside Gardens on Easter Sunday.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Queens Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer handed out fliers Tuesday morning with the suspect's description.
A good samaritan, Michael Novak, who heard the woman's cries and chased the attacker away was called a hero by Quinn.
"This incident, thank God, ended up as a groping. But let's be clear: a man doesn't come up on you from behind, throw you down in the bushes, to grope you. He was going to rape that woman, and you stopped that from happening," Quinn said to .
"I'm not a hero, I'm just, I just did what I think anybody should do when you hear a woman cry for help. You just have to respond and come to her aid immediately," said Novak.
Police say the victim was walking home just before 6 a.m. when a man approached her from behind, put his hand down her blouse, and punched her.
The man was described as being between 5-feet-6-inches and 5-feet-7-inches and was seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt.
Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.