A 30-year-old man from Manhattan has been taken into custody for allegedly trying to assault an 84-year-old woman sexually in a park on the Lower East Side. This incident occurred just a week after he reportedly attempted to kiss another stranger in the same vicinity, according to police reports.
Ian Grandison is accused of forcefully entering a restroom stall at Sara D. Roosevelt Park around 2:50 p.m. on March 11. There, he allegedly assaulted the elderly woman by pushing her to the ground and pulling down her underwear, as detailed in a criminal complaint acquired by The Post.
The alleged perpetrator then removed his own clothing but was stopped by a courageous bystander who intervened, the complaint continues.
This Good Samaritan pulled Grandison away from the injured victim and managed to capture a photo of the suspect as he fled the scene.
Authorities located Grandison in his Tribeca apartment six hours after the attack, showing him the photograph taken by the witness. Grandison reportedly confirmed, “That’s me,” as noted in the complaint.
Following the incident, both locals and tourists at the park on Wednesday evening remained vigilant and on edge.
“It’s kind of shocking to hear, especially since it was in the middle of the day,” Angie Brokaw, a 31-year-old tourist from Texas, told The Post.
Brokaw added that news of the assault reminded her to buy pepper spray, noting that the errand was now “a must.”
“I tend to think that, if I’m out in a public place like a busy park, I’m probably safe and maybe I’m not on my guard as much as I should be,” she said.
Gabriel Cay, a native New Yorker, refuses to leave his apartment without his trusty Taser.
“This is ridiculous. It’s f–king Gotham city,” he said.
Mackenzie Romig, a 26-year-old ceramics artist who lives in the neighborhood, told The Post that Sara D. Roosevelt Park “is a little sketchy all the time.”
“I love this area, but it’s scary to hear stuff like [the assault],” she said,
“Generally in the daytime, I feel safe walking around, but I’m always trying to be vigilant,” she added.
Grandison is also accused of forcing himself onto another woman on the Lower East Side on March 4.
He allegedly tailed the woman for five minutes before cornering her on Worth Street. He yanked her toward him and leaned in with his lips pursed while restraining her by her upper arms, according to the same complaint.
The victim fled in a vehicle. She also took a picture of her assailant, seen wearing the same outfit as Grandison was during the purported assault in Sara D. Roosevelt Park.
When Grandison was shown the picture, he told officers, “That’s me when I just got out of Bellevue [Hospital],” the complaint said.
Grandison was charged with attempted rape, attempted sexual abuse, and stalking. He is being held on a $300,000 bond and is set to appear in court on April 15.
