Masked man strangles woman with belt in US, drags body between cars to sexually assault her

NEW DELHI: A disturbing video circulated on social media shows the moment a masked attacker used a belt to choke a woman, dragging her to the ground until she lost consciousness, then sexually assaulting her between two parked vehicles in a horrifying attack on a Bronx street in New York city last week.

According to New York Post, the incident occurred on May 1 at approximately 3 am, as the perpetrator followed the 45-year-old victim, who was walking on the sidewalk at East 152nd Street and Third Avenue, as per police officials.

The shocking footage shows the man removing a belt and wrapping it around the woman's neck. He then drags the victim several feet down to the pavement until she becomes unconscious.

The video shows him drag the woman between two cars, where he rapes her.

After the assault, the attacker fled the scene and had not been caught yet.

The NYPD's Special Victims Unit is investigating the violent sexual assault, police said. However, according to police sources, the victim has ceased cooperating with authorities, the New York Post reported.

This heinous crime comes amidst the department's April crime statistics, which revealed a slight increase in reported rapes last month – 124 compared to 118 in April 2023.

As of May 5, a total of 511 rapes had been reported throughout the city, matching the total from the same period last year.