A stranger stabbed a 55-year-old woman from behind in an unprovoked attack steps from the north end of Central Park over the weekend, authorities said.
The victim was walking on the sidewalk at St. Nicholas Avenue and West 111th Street in Harlem just before 11 a.m. Saturday when the assailant strolled up to her and plunged an “unknown sharp object” into her left lower back, cops said.
The victim and suspect did not appear to have spoken to each other before the broad-daylight ambush, police said.
The attack happened steps from the northeast side of Central Park, near the Harlem Meer – a man-made lake – and the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, a visitor center run by the Central Park Conservancy.
The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Morningside, where she was listed in stable condition.
The still-at-large attacker is seen walking with a cane in surveillance images released Thursday afternoon.
He is described as having a dark complexion and a medium build, and was last seen wearing a black hat, a light-colored shirt, blue pants, and white and black sneakers.
Anyone with information on the attack is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ and on X @NYPDTips.
