A break-in, an arrest and questions about the system: An East Village resident shares her harrowing story

Photos and interview by Stacie Joy 

A longtime East Village resident woke early Saturday morning to find an intruder in the bedroom of her apartment near Seventh Street and Avenue B.

The man had entered through an open fire-escape window, she said, and was standing at the foot of her bed, masturbating. After she threatened to call the police, he left the apartment. Officers later arrested a man nearby after searching the surrounding buildings and gardens.

The resident, whose identity EVG is withholding, chose to share her story to explain what she learned about responding in the moment — and to raise questions about the parole and court systems she is still trying to understand.

The following Q&A has been edited for length and clarity. Some details about the suspect's criminal history, parole status and pending case reflect the resident's understanding of events and have not been independently verified by EVG.

Can you tell us what happened? 

I came home Saturday night, and I went to sleep at about 12:30, and I woke up at about 4:20 a.m. because there was a man just standing at the foot of my bed, violently masturbating. 

It took me about 45 seconds before my brain could make sense of what was happening. I saw a solid mass moving violently. I couldn't really understand it. 

Finally, I sat up in bed and started shouting, "Get the fuck out of here," maybe six or seven times. He didn't respond. I couldn't really see him because it was dark. He didn't leave until I said, "I'm calling the police," and reached for my phone. 

How did he enter the apartment? 

He came through the building next door. Police found the roof door open. He then climbed over the roof, came down my fire escape and entered through my open bedroom window without waking me. 

What happened after you said you were calling the police? 

He went into the hallway and continued masturbating. He was wearing a white shirt, which is important because he left it on my bedroom floor and changed into a black one. 

When I went to call the police, he picked up a bag that he had left in my daughter’s room and slipped out the front door. My daughter wasn't home, thankfully. I locked the door behind him. I could hear him standing on the other side, and then I called 911. 

My neighbor had heard me screaming. He looked through his peephole and got a good look at the man as he walked downstairs. 

Based on the building's camera footage, we later learned that he disappeared into the garden. 

How was he found? 

When the police arrived, I rode with officers for about 20 minutes while my neighbor searched in another police car. 

We didn't find him, so we returned and stood on the street in front of a garden. My neighbor then saw him in the garden and yelled, "That’s him!" Everyone started yelling, "Get him!" The man scaled a wall into my neighbor's private garden. I ran upstairs to get the garden keys. 

When I came back down, I saw him running past me. He ran toward Avenue C, where officers saw him. He turned and ran back toward Avenue B, passing me again. Several officers chased him, caught him and placed him under arrest. 

I took pictures of him after the arrest. When my neighbor confronted him, he threatened my neighbor.

What happened after the arrest?

I gave a police report, and investigators processed the crime scene. I had to remain outside my apartment all day. The following day, I gave a deposition and testified before a grand jury. 

I also found the white shirt he left on my bedroom floor and brought it to the precinct. There is a lot of evidence. My understanding is that bail was set at $100,000. I wish he had been remanded, but he was not.

What did you learn afterward about his parole status? 

Another neighbor found the man’s bag in the garden. It contained a parole ID indicating that he had been released on Aug. 27. The crime occurred on Aug. 29, so he had been out for less than 48 hours. 

The bag also contained paperwork about his parole. It appeared to tell him not to use drugs or alcohol, to find legal employment and to maintain good relationships with his family. 

From what I saw, there did not appear to be information about services available to him. 

Why do you believe the system failed? 

From everything I understand, there was an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest, and he should have been detained. I'm trying to determine whose responsibility it was to identify that warrant and act on it. 

As far as I can tell, this never should have happened to me because he should have been rearrested after being paroled.

What changes have you made to secure your apartment? 

Window poles. They're easy to remove if you want to open your window, but people without bars on their windows and with a fire escape window are vulnerable.

[I bought] a set of poles for $25 on Amazon, and they're adjustable, and you can just stick them in your window so that nobody can open your window from the outside. Or you could get a gate that covers the whole window, but then no light comes in, and you feel like you're in a jail. 

Editor's note: FDNY regulations strictly govern window gate locks and access to fire escapes. Residents should ensure that any window stops or security devices allow for immediate, tool-free emergency egress from the inside.

What do you believe helped you during the incident? 

What finally got his attention was when I said I was calling the police. He didn't seem to hear anything I said before that, but he heard the word "police," and then he left.

How are you processing everything personally? 

I know that I'm incredibly lucky. People kept saying to me, "Oh, my God, this is my worst nightmare." But it could have been worse. I didn't wake up with someone’s hand over my mouth or a gun to my head.

I'm lucky that my daughter wasn't home, and I'm lucky that police caught him. I'm trying to protect women going forward. 

If officials can identify where the communication breakdown occurred, maybe somebody else won't have to go through this.

What systemic or legal concerns remain for you?  

Another upsetting development: Since this is considered a sexually motivated crime, an automatic restraining order was filed on my behalf — and it includes my name! I was told that he has a right to know it, but I don't agree with that. 

I'm also trying to understand how someone with his criminal history and what I believe was an outstanding warrant was released. I want to know where the system failed and who was responsible for acting on that information. 

Right now, I feel like a victim of the criminal justice system even more than the criminal.