Police arrest sex offender in Gloversville rail trail assault

41-year-old Kristerfer Passino of Gloversville is facing an assault charge.

Police say he came out of the woods and attacked a woman who was walking on the rail trail last week, Tuesday night at about 9:45pm near South Main Street and Broad Street.

Last week, as they searched for a suspect, police put out surveillance photos. They said the suspect was riding a gas-powered bicycle towing a cargo wagon.

Passino is a Level 3 sex offender.

There are mug shots of him over the years. He has a rape conviction from 2003.

Court paperwork details the past crime: Passino offered to give a woman a ride home, then refused to let her out of his van, threatened her with a pellet pistol, and raped her.

In the rail trail assault last week, police say the attack was unprovoked, he used a weapon, and the woman was injured.

Gloversville resident Michael Richardson walks a lot, and uses the trail often.

“I think it’s a very nice trail but you do have to pick your times of day and night when you do walk it because there are problems around here. There are people who basically don’t behave themselves as they should, civilly, and I’m very reluctant to do it at night or during the very, very early morning before the sun comes up, but I do walk the trail a lot,” he said.

“Overall, I would say that you just have to be very careful. Anywhere, in any city, you’re going to have problems and you’re going to have people who are going to cause problems.”

More charges may be filed against Passino.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the detective in this case, Detective Andrew Wilson, at 518-773-4569.