Female Jogger Attacked In Addabbo Playground

Queens

A Tudor Village woman was attacked while jogging near the softball field in the Joseph P. Addabbo Playground in Ozone Park around 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday, the 106th Precinct Community Council said, according to the Queens Chronicle.

The perpetrator first exposed himself to the jogger and then tried to force her to the ground, 106th Precinct Community Council President Frank Dardani said. The woman was able to run away from the assailant.

Police said the attacker was a black male, around 30 years old and about 5-foot-9.

The jogger told police that the suspect was wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and black pants and was putting on a mask as she approached him while on her run, Dardani said.

Dardani said the jogger had seen the man sitting on a park bench in the playground a few days before the incident.

The assailant made his escape from the playground on a silver and blue bicycle, according to Dardani.

A police spokesperson said the investigation was ongoing.

Dardani said the incident highlights the need for more police officers to be assigned to the area.

“These things could be prevented if we had enough officers to patrol all of the precinct,” he said.

The community council president asked that police be proactive instead of just reactive. He said that criminals notice when there are no cops patrolling an area.

“We don’t want to call the police after the fact and be a statistic,” Dardani said.

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), whose district covers the park, said the attack was an unfortunate situation which could have had a worse outcome.

“But, nevertheless, it just highlights the need for additional police officers, and more importantly, the need for patrol officers on our neighborhood streets,” Addabbo said.

The 106th recently received an additional 15 officers, some of whom now patrol the area around the Aqueduct racino.

Jogger attacked in Addabbo playground

Queens Chronicle - June 7, 2012 - By Stephen Geffon