BY GABE HERMAN | Police have identified a suspect and released his photo in the case of an East Village woman who was recently followed into her apartment and attacked.
According to police, on Fri., July 26, around 1:45 a.m., the suspect followed a 21-year-old woman into her apartment building, at E. 12th St. and Avenue A. The New York Post reported the woman had been returning from the store. The man then forcefully pushed his way into her apartment.
The intruder then grabbed the woman, told her to “shut up,” threw her to the ground and covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming.
But the woman’s roommate, a 22-year-old woman, was home at the time and was awakened. She encountered the man, who then fled the apartment. He was last seen fleeing on foot near E. 11th St. and First Ave.
No property was taken and the victim was not seriously hurt from the incident.
Police have identified the suspect as Tyler Lockett, 22, who stands 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt and gray sweatpants.
Police said Lockett is known to frequent areas in Brooklyn’s 90th Precinct, which includes Williamsburg and East Williamsburg.
Police provided a photo of Lockett, which was taken from a robbery/home invasion arrest this Jan. 25 in the 90th Precinct. In that incident, which followed a similar pattern to the East Village attack, he forced his way into the apartment of a 23-year-old woman, locked the door, grabbed her purse and fought with her. He then knocked the woman to the ground, causing a knee injury.
Anyone with information should call the Police Department’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted on the CrimeStoppers Web site at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All tips are strictly confidential.
