BY KEITH J. KELLY | A homeless man who was allegedly targeting women walking or jogging in the early morning hours has been arrested hours after his latest attack near the West Side running path, according to police.
Police said they arrested a 29-year-old homeless man identified as Carl Phanor Thursday afternoon shortly before 4 p.m. in connection with the rape of a 43-year-old woman on the path next to Hudson River Park at Christopher Street and the West Side Highway in the predawn hours.
The New York Post reported that the woman was jogging on Pier 45, the Christopher St. Pier, and that the attack occurred on the pier.
Phanor is linked to at least two other attempted rapes over the past seven months, including one on the West Side on March 27 near Pier 40, in the Hudson River Park’s Greenwich Village section, and one on the northbound service road on the F.D.R. Drive at E. 37th St. on Oct. 6.
In the latest attack, police said the woman was jogging on the West Side bike path — which is also used by runners — when she was grabbed from behind by her assailant around 5:30 a.m. The attacker began choking her, causing her to partially lose consciousness before forcing her to the ground and raping her, police said. Before fleeing on foot, he stole the victim’s wallet, debit card, cell phone and headphones.
Another jogger came to the aid of the woman and called 911. The victim was transported to Lenox Health Greenwich Village.
In the latest attack, which occurred within the 6th Precinct, the assailant is facing charges including sexually motivated robbery, grand larceny, strangulation, predatory sexual assualt and criminal sex act.
In the Oct. 6 incident, a 48-year-old woman was walking northbound on the F.D.R. Drive service road heading toward 37th Street around 5 a.m. when the assailant approached her from behind, choked her and dragged her to the ground, ripping her clothes and attempting to rape her, cops said. In that case, the victim was able to fight him off, but not before he stole her wallet and cell phone and ripped her clothes. A half hour after that incident, he attempted to use the stolen credit card to make a purchase at an East Village smoke shop 113 First Ave., at Seventh Street, where police were able to obtain a surveillance photo.
In the earlier attack on March 27 on the West Side, a 39-year-old woman was jogging on the path at Clarkson and West Streets near Pier 40 — just four blocks south of the site of Thursday’s rape — where she was approached by her assailant riding a bicycle. The man choked and then sexually assaulted her, forcing her to perform a sex act, before he stole her cell phone and fled on his bicycle.
Single women are prime targets. Why would she jog at 5:30 in the dead of night? This might have been prevented with a jogging companion.
Why would a woman need a companion? Why can’t anyone no matter if they are a woman or man of whatever age and time of day or night, feel safe and be safe?
Radio silence from the
Mayor
And Governor
We have heard NOTHING from either of them since this incident
NOTHING
The definition of gaslighting
We need NEW leadership in this city and state