A young Harlem woman was raped in Central Park early Tuesday by a smooth-talking predator she met on the subway only hours before the attack, law enforcement sources said.
The 22-year-old victim told cops the brute forced her to have sex with him on a bench near the Loeb Boathouse just before 3 a.m. She then managed to run away and hail a cab to a local hospital, sources said.
The woman said she was riding an uptown A train earlier in the evening when the man boarded at the 34th Street station and sat next to her, law-enforcement sources said.
The charismatic fiend struck up a conversation with the woman, telling her that his name was “Golden” before getting her to agree to leave the train with him at the next stop.
Two then grabbed coffee at a Starbucks near Times Square and food at a Shake Shack at Eighth Avenue and 44th Street, where the victim allegedly saw the man sell a bag of marijuana to someone outside the restaurant, law-enforcement sources said.
The two then made their way uptown before entering Central Park at 72nd Street and Central Park West. They were walking east through Strawberry Fields when the attacker started coming onto her by touching her.
The pair made their way to the SummerStage concert area near Terrace Drive and East Drive, when the man sparked up some marijuana just before becoming more forceful, according to the source.
He then told her to follow him north to the Loeb Boathouse, where he allegedly threw her onto a bench and raped her while aggressively grabbing her neck and forcing her to look into his eyes during the brutal assault, sources said.
After the attack, “Golden” realized he’d misplaced his cell phone and began looking around for it, allowing the woman time to run away toward Fifth Avenue, where she flagged down a cab which took her to St. Luke’s Hospital, sources said.
Authorities on Tuesday were still investigating the incident and collecting surveillance video.
This is the second reported rape in Central Park so far this year, compared to none last year for the same period, NYPD stats show.
Robberies also are up 100 percent this year, with 22 reported incidents compared to just 12 in 2014.
Some local joggers were surprised to hear of the rape.
“That makes me feel like the world is literally contaminated,” said Antonia Alvarez,18, a student who lives on the Upper East Side.
“People have to be aware that this is happening. A park is usually a safe place. Especially In New York City where it is so urban, the park should be a cozy place, she added.
Alvarez said she would never cut through the park at night and opts for a cab instead.
But some women say they think Central Park is safe.
“I have been running in this park for so long, and it always seems safer over the years,” said Ann Davies, 63.
“I never feel scared. But I’m probably too complacent about it. It’s unfortunate that that happened.” She said of the reported sexual assault.