Updated

Police investigating ‘brutal’ assault of L.B. woman

Victim in serious condition as search for suspect continues

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The search for a man who police say brutally attacked a Long Beach woman at an apartment building on New York Avenue continued on Wednesday.

Police Commissioner Mike Tangney said that officers responded to a frantic 911 call on Sunday at 5 New York Ave., a garden apartment complex near the west end of the boardwalk, just before 10:30 p.m., where police discovered an injured woman in the courtyard.

“When they arrived, they found a middle-aged woman with severe blunt-force trauma to her head,” Tangney said. “It was a brutal assault.”

The 54-year-old victim, who was not identified, was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she underwent surgery. As the Herald went to press on Wednesday, she remained in serious condition, officials said.

Police launched a massive search for her attacker, which involved Nassau County Police Department aviation and K-9 units. For hours, West End residents said they could hear helicopters circling above. Tangney declined to offer more details about the suspect, citing the ongoing investigation.

“A person was seen leaving the complex, which prompted us to call NCPD canine and aviation,” he said. “It was a lengthy search. We do not believe the assailant is in Long Beach. We have a lead at this time that we are pursuing vigorously.”

Tangney said that the attacker knew the victim, and that she was targeted. “This was not a random crime,” he said.

Tenants in the building, which is adjacent to the Overlook restaurant, told the Herald that they heard yelling in the courtyard and rushed outside. “I came down, saw the body and called the police,” said one tenant, who declined to give his name. “She had a blank stare.”

Another man, who was on the boardwalk when the attack occurred, heard the woman’s screams and chased the attacker down the block, tenants and police said.

Laura Stone, who lives next door to the victim, said she heard the woman’s screams and a man’s voice. She heard another neighbor calling for help, saw the woman lying on the ground near her front door, and called 911.

“I heard four screams, and two minutes later, I heard my neighbor screaming, 'She’s dead! She’s not breathing!'” Stone said. "I don’t know what he hit her with, but it was asbolutely awful. We’re all praying for her.”

“Apparently, she was coming up the stairs … and he started hitting her in the head with either a baseball bat or metal pipe, from what I heard,” added Stone's boyfriend, Robert Scattaglia, who was not home when the attack occurred. “She was bludgeoned very badly. … I hope they get the guy. He should be in jail for at least 20 years.”

Stone and others said that the attacker is believed to have been dating the victim’s daughter.

“She told me that her daughter left home to move in with this psycopath and they didn’t get along,” said Stone, who added that the victim works as a teacher and lives with her elderly mother. “These people are nice people — the mother is 85 years old and the daughter goes to work, and there is never any problem.”

Stone and other tenants said that they are a tight-knit community, and police said they have not had any problems there in recent memory.

“Nobody bothers anybody here," Stone said. "We live on the beach and there is a lot of noise over here, lots of kids on their bikes. Everybody is friends here and gets along."

Tangney declined to comment on a motive for the attack, but said on Monday that police did not believe the assault was related to a domestic dispute.

“The people of Long Beach are not in any danger from this assault,” he added.