The Associated Press
NEW YORK - A man in a firefighter costume set a small blaze in a stairwell to dupe a woman into letting him into her apartment, then sexually assaulted her, police said.
Police said the 34-year-old woman was bound and molested for more than 12 hours on Halloween night.
No immediate arrests were made.
As smoke from the fire filled the hall, the man knocked on the woman’s door and yelled “FDNY!” police said. The woman told detectives that when she opened the door, the man said he needed to check her apartment.
When she let him in, he pulled a gun and covered her face in a chemical-soaked rag, she told police. He put on a ski mask, tied her up, gagged her with duct tape and videotaped her as he sexually assaulted the woman, police said.
Firefighters came to the building, but when a resident knocked on the woman’s door, there was no answer, police said.
She freed herself and called police after the man left.