A good Samaritan prevented the brutal rape of a Queens college student coming home from a Halloween party by scaring off a thug who had jumped from the shadows to attack her, cops said Friday
The 23-year-old woman, who emigrated from Taiwan only three months ago to study English at Queens College, was wearing a maid’s costume with high heels when she got off the Q64 bus about 5 a.m. Friday and walked up 152nd Street to Melbourne Avenue, cops and her roommate said.
“When she got off the bus she was cautious,” the roommate said. “She looked back several times to make sure no one was following her. The last time she looked back he was right up on her from behind. She started running and he ran after her.”
The attacker shoved the victim to the ground, punched her in the head and tried to drag her in the bushes, police said.
“He choked her,” the roommate added. “You could see the red bruising on her neck. He used his hands to cover her mouth and she bit him.”
As soon as the predator loosened his grip on the terrified woman’s throat, she screamed for help, the roommate said. “He tried to rip her clothes off but she was wearing a heavy jacket … it was hard to get off.”
A 58-year-old good Samaritan from the neighborhood heard the screams and came to the rescue, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
“She was screaming, ‘Help me, help me. ‘ I looked through the window and saw him on top of her pounding her face,” said the heroic neighbor, who gave his name only as Richie. “I opened the window and yell, ‘Hey, I call 911 and the cops are coming right now’ to scare him off. I’ve never seen someone run so fast.”
He went outside to see if the victim was okay and later went to her home to check on her – but modestly downplayed his heroics.
“It is nothing heroic,” he said. “I just did what anyone would do. If I wasn’t up, seeing how dark it was, and with no one around he would have completed his mission. I’m just happy I was there to stop it. It’s unbelievable she come up on a character like this and she has only been here three months.”
The victim ran to her apartment and pounded on the door until her roommate awoke.
“She looked terrified,” the roommate said. ” She said, ‘I’m scared. I’m scared.’ She was shaking. She was very emotional and couldn’t complete her sentences. She is still in a state of shock.”
The victim refused medical attention. The Post is withholding the roommate’s name to protect the identity of the victim.
The hero rode around looking for the perp in an attempt to help cops catch him, but he remained at large. Cops said he appeared to be in his 20s and was last seen wearing jeans and a black T-shirt.
The Post is withholding the roommate’s name to protect the identity of the victim.