Overview

• Melasia Harris, 25, told CBS New York that around 3 a.m. on July 5 she was attacked on the Coney Island beach after fireworks celebrations.
• Onlookers reportedly laughed and recorded the assault instead of calling for help or intervening.
• Harris said her assailant pursued her off the sand to Stillwell Avenue and raped her a second time by a boardwalk planter.
• In a statement to People, the NYPD confirmed receipt of the rape report and said the investigation remains active.
• Harris described the suspect as a man with a scar on his lip carrying a book bag, underscoring ongoing safety concerns at the crowded boardwalk.