Woman Attacked and Choked in Kensington: Police

A woman claims a man choked her to the point where she passed out Wednesday night in Kensington.

Police cautioned that was early in the investigation and they had not linked this case to the so-called Kensington Strangler. The serial killer is connected by DNA to three murders and investigators think he's also responsible for attacking and choking three other women.

In Wednesday’s incident, the woman told police she went willingly with a man into an abandoned property near Kensington Avenue and Orleans Street. The two had "consensual activity," police said, but when the man allegedly wanted more, he sexually assault and choked the victim.

The woman passed out during the attack and when she came to, her pants were down below her ankles, she told police. The victim described her attacker as a clean-shaven Hispanic man, about 5-foot-9 with a medium build.

The description is not a close match to the ear-buds-wearing Kensington Strangler who was caught on surveillance tape before one of his alleged attacks. The Kensington Strangler was described as a black male in his early 20s who is about 5-foot-7, 170-pounds with a medium complexion.

Police were waiting for rape kit results from Wednesday’s attack to see what the DNA tells them.

Earlier this month, city and police and community groups announced a $37,000 reward for the capture and conviction of the attacker.


Fan, follow and download: Get the latest from NBCPhiladelphia.com anytime, anywhere. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and NBC Philadelphia. Sign up for our breaking news newsletter. And, get breaking news delivered right to your mobile phone -- just text PHIBREAKING to 639710 to sign up. (Message and data rates may apply.)

Contact Us