Two women sexually attacked while walking in Albany
Posted at: 02/21/2012 11:14 PM
By: Dan Bazile
ALBANY -- The attacks on two women may not be a big surprise to some. But it's still a cause for concern for residents and those who come to the restaurants and enjoy the nightlife in Albany.
"I wouldn't walk by myself around here," said Linsey Mould, a college student who lives in Albany.
But even with company by her side, police say it didn't seem to matter for a 21 year-old woman early Sunday morning. She was walking with two friends on Hamilton Street when a man came out from behind a fence, reached up her skirt and forcibly touched her.
"He ran off. He was last seen running up Hamilton Street toward Ontario," Albany Police Spokesman James Miller said.
About an hour later, police said a 25 year-old woman was also sexually assaulted. The victim told police she was walking home alone in Washington Park when a man pushed her to the ground and threatened to shoot her.
"Puts something that she says feels like a gun to the back of her head. He tells her not to scream otherwise he will kill her," Miller said.
The suspect's description in both cases is very similar. That's about all police say they have as a lead. Miller said it's hard to say right now if the two crimes are connected other than the descriptions and the fact that they occurred within an hour of each other.
Meantime, he's urging women to take some precautions. He said perhaps the mild winter is bringing people out. There's no snow on the ground and people are taking short cuts through grassy areas. They're walking rather than taking cabs. He said just don't do it alone.
"There's always strength in numbers," Miller said.
