Woman says witnesses recorded video of rape on Coney Island beach instead of helping

WCBS

By Lisa Rozner

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    New York (WCBS, WLNY) — A woman says she was raped on a Coney Island beach over the Fourth of July weekend and onlookers recorded videos instead of stopping to help.

CBS News New York does not generally identify sexual assault survivors, but Melasia Harris gave permission in hopes it leads to the suspect being caught.

“Nobody helped. Nobody stopped.”

Harris said she headed to the boardwalk and beach late Friday night.

“I got off of the bus at 11 p.m., missed the fireworks,” she said. “At this point, I’m making the most of my night.”

Harris said as she was walking away from the water near Stillwell Avenue around 3 a.m. Saturday, a man was coming toward her.

“He gave me bad vibes. I really looked at him. He had a scar on his lip,” she said. “I tried to run away, and I fell three times.”

Harris said she tripped on a mat and fell.

“I just literally remember being right there ’cause I just remember it was in the middle of everything,” she said.

The man then forced oral sex on her, Harris said.

“He saw that I was on the floor and that’s when he put his face between my legs, and I started screaming and everyone started laughing and recording me. Nobody helped. Nobody stopped,” she said.

She added, “I swear he had a bookbag, and that’s what made my heart beat because I’m from Brooklyn. Like, a man with a bookbag and you don’t know what’s inside?”

Harris said at one point, a golf cart shined a light on them but then drove off.

“I was just terrified, and I couldn’t fight back”

When she walked away to leave, she says the man followed her down Stillwell Avenue and raped her.

“He bent me over over here, and he raped me,” she said. “My face hit the bushes. I couldn’t do anything, so I was just like, I was just really scared and then I was like screaming for help.”

Law enforcement sources confirm there was a report of a rape at Coney Island on Saturday.

Harris said there were witnesses to both attacks and she is asking them to come forward.

“I was just terrified, and I couldn’t fight back,” she said.

She said the suspect needs to be arrested and has shared her story on social media.

She says she’s in contact with the NYPD’s special victims unit and hopes sharing her story will help bring them more clues to catch the suspect.

If you or anyone you know is a victim of sexual assault and needs help, you can call the nonprofit RAINN at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). RAINN has a 24/7 confidential hotline and resources online.

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