Authorities said a man pretending to be a firefighter set two fires, then knocked on a woman's door and then proceeded to sexually assault her, NewsChannel 4 reported on Tuesday.
Residents of the 66-unit building said there were real firefighters who rescued them. There is no doorman at the building, but people need to be buzzed in. Two people said they smelled the smoke, heard the alarm, and the real firefighters got the people out.
Authorities said there were two separate rubbish fires that were set in the same building, located on 24th Street in Chelsea. The building has six floors and an elevator.
Authorities said they had no idea how she woke up or how the victim, identified as a 34-year-old female, was found, and that there was enough evidence to support sexual abuse.
The suspect then put a rag over her face with a chemical agent on it, which caused her to be semi-conscious. Sources added that the victim's wrists were tied.
Authorities also said the victim was quite hysterical when she called sometime after 6 a.m.
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