Forest Park attack tops WRBA meeting agenda

A recent mugging in Forest Park, a new residential home in the area and restoration of a collapsed building on Jamaica Avenue were among the top issues on the table as the Woodhaven Residents Block Association held its monthly meeting on Sept. 18 at American Legion Post 118 in Woodhaven.

Deputy Inspector Hank Sautner, commanding officer of the 102nd Precinct, announced that the neighborhood experienced a pretty good summer, then addressed an incident that occurred around 6 p.m. in Forest Park on Sept. 16.

A jogger was accosted from behind, he said, adding that the woman gave a very good description of her attacker.

According to police, a woman was running near one of the horse trails nor far from the Buddy Monument at Myrtle Avenue and Park Lane South, when was grabbed from behind by a male. The victim reacted quickly and pulled away, but not until he forcibly removedherear buds, which were attached to her phone. She did not sustain any physical injuries.

He said the victim was able to pick out a photo of the suspect, picked up by one of the parks cameras. A wanted poster is imminent, he said.

The perpetrator is described as a white male in his early 40s, balding with grayish blonde hair. 5 feet, 8 inches tall and around 200 pounds. He was wearing a long sleeve gray shirt and baggy blue jeans.

I am pretty confident we have some decent leads. Hopefully, well get an arrest, he said.

The park has been the site of a series of six sexual assaults over the past two years, Sautner noted, but the latest incident was not of that kind, and he suggested there is nothing that indicates that the same perpetrator was involved in it.

In response to a question from the audience, the commander said noise complaints are our biggest quality-of-life issue. To combat the problem, the precinct tries to find the chronic locations, one of which is off Jamaica Avenue, a commercial hub.

Sautner also introduced a new member of the Community Affairs Unit, Police Officer Eddie Martinez.

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Forest Park attack tops WRBA meeting agenda