Woman Who Alleged Rape By Police Officer In Riverside Park Recants Her Story
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A woman who said she was raped in Riverside Park early Thursday morning by a man claiming to be a police officer has recanted her story to police.
The 44-year-old woman had said she was walking alone along Riverside Drive at West 74th Street at around 5 a.m. when a man came up from behind her and said he was a "cop and an FBI agent," according to police.
She told police he then punched her, dragged her into the park and raped her under a tree in a grassy area of the park.
The woman was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was examined. She was unable to give police a good description of her attacker, CBS 2's Derricke Dennis reported.
"It certainly is a safe park but there have been incidents, there have been sexual assaults -- lots of things have happened in Riverside Park," said Geoffrey Croft with NYC Park Advocates. "But recently it's been fairly quiet."
No arrests were made and police said the woman's previous claim was not part of any pattern.
Authorities spent time at the park looking for any evidence or witnesses in connection with the attack.
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