Queens attack: Man covers woman’s mouth with handkerchief, threatening to kill her
Crime in the City full episode: January 17, 2025
A look at some of the more notable crimes across the New York City area this week, including the stabbing of an innocent 14-year-old at random in the Bronx, a body found in garbage bags under a Queens bed, plus the New York governor's plan to add cops to every subway station overnight.
QUEENS - A man attacked a woman in Queens on Friday by covering her mouth with a handkerchief, threatening to kill her, police said.
What happened to the woman?
What we know:
Police said at approximately 5:45 a.m. on Friday a 32-year-old woman was walking near 31-31 94th Street in Flushing when a man approached her from behind.
The man then put a handkerchief over her mouth, threatened to kill her and then pushed her to the ground, police said.

The suspect then fled the scene to unknown parts, police said. (Credit: NYPD)
Police said the woman was taken to an area hospital in stable condition.
What we don't know:
The names of the woman and the man who attacked her have not been released at this time.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
What you can do:
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
Was crime up or down in 2024?
The backstory:
According to NYPD statistics, overall crime was down in New York City in 2024 by around 3% compared to 2023, year to date.

Murders were down 3.8%, with 375 this past year as opposed to 390 in 2023. Robberies and burglaries also saw decreases.

The city saw an 18.7% increase in rapes and a 4.9% increase in felony assaults.

On the subway and mass transit, felony assaults were up 65% from 2019 to 2024, according to the MTA. In 2019, 374 felony assaults were reported, while in 2024, 579 were reported.
The Source: This article contains previous reporting from FOX 5 NY and uses information from the NYPD.