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.
