A woman taking an early evening jog through a Manhattan park was attacked by a man who dragged her to a secluded area where he raped and robbed her, authorities said.
The 26-year-old victim was running in East River Park on the Lower East Side when the fiend approached her near Jackson Street around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, cops said.
After engaging her in conversation, the man grabbed her by the hair and forced her into the park’s amphitheater, where he raped and sexually assaulted her.
Afterward the attacker dug through her pockets, stealing her cellphone and credit cards, police said.
The victim was taken to Beth Israel Hospital.
Neighborhood residents said the park can get scary once the sun goes down.
“It gets dark so early this time of year,” said Ann Lee, 31, who lives on the Lower East Side. “I don’t know if I would go running by myself if I didn’t see a lot of people there.”
Sara Gibson, 28, said she tries to stay away from that park at night.
“There are a lot of places to hide,” she said, referring to the park’s secluded spots. “It could be hard for police to get to.”
“It’s sad that you have to worry, sad that that can happen here at 7:30 at night.”