Morningside Heights Mugger Strikes Again, Police Say

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, NY — The NYPD is trying to identify a man who is wanted in connection with two attempted Morningside Heights muggings, police said.

The same man who mugged a 60-year-old woman in November struck again early this month, police said. On the night of Dec. 5, the suspect followed a 20-year-old woman inside her home on West 116 Street and Riverside Drive before attacking her, police said.

Inside the entrance of the building, the man came up from behind the victim, placed a napkin over her mouth and told her not to scream, police said. In the ensuing struggle, both the man and woman fell to the ground and the woman managed to escape the mugger's grasp, police said.

The man fled the building and ran westbound on West 116 Street towards Riverside Drive, police said. The victim did not suffer physical injuries, police said.

The suspect (pictured above) is described as a man in his 40s who was last seen wearing a black jacket, a black knit cap, black jeans and white sneakers, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

Photo by NYPD