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A woman sitting on a Central Park bench was targeted in a sexual assault attempt Monday afternoon — but three bystanders intervened, chasing the attacker off before police made an arrest, authorities said.
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The 45-year-old victim was seated on a footpath near East 109th Street and East Drive around 5:35 p.m. when the suspect approached and pinned her to the bench without saying a word, according to police. Three onlookers yelled out and chased the man through the park before flagging down officers, the Daily News first reported.Police arrested Lateef Caldwell and charged him with attempted rape and sex abuse. Caldwell, who lives in a shelter on Wards Island, was paroled from state prison last April after serving 25 months for an attempted sex abuse conviction stemming from an East Village attack.
According to police sources, Caldwell was first arrested in April 2022 for tackling a 23-year-old woman from behind on East 13th Street near First Avenue and attempting to tear her clothing. The woman suffered minor injuries. He was initially charged with attempted rape in that case.
Caldwell has not been charged with a hate crime in connection with Monday’s attack. It was not immediately clear whether such a charge remains under consideration.
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