Police hunt for thug seen in brutal video fondling a female tourist, 31, in Harlem and then punching her teeth out and robbing her as she walked to her Airbnb rental

  • The 31-year-old tourist was walking to her Airbnb rental at West 146th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard Thursday when the mugger struck from behind
  • CCTV video caught the man yanking away the woman's purse, then repeatedly punching her in the face 
  • Police say perpetrator struck victim with such force that he knocked out several of her teeth before pulling down her pants and sexually assaulting her
  • The same man has been linked to similar attack on 35-year-old woman that took place in Hamilton Heights - just four blokc away - on April 24  

By Associated Press and Snejana Farberov For Dailymail.com

Published: 11:18 EDT, 5 May 2017 | Updated: 17:42 EDT, 5 May 2017

Police in New York City are searching for a perpetrator who was caught on surveillance video savagely beating and sexually assaulting a German tourist during a violent robbery in Harlem. 

The brutal attack took place at 2.50am on Thursday as the 31-year-old victim walked back to her Airbnb rental at West 146th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard. 

Surveillance video released on Friday by the New York Police Department shows the thug yanking away the woman's bag. 

A survielnace camera captured the moment a mugger accosted a German tourist from behind in Harlem Thursday morning
The 31-year-old woman was heading back to her Airbnb rental

Cowardly attack: A survielnace camera captured the moment a mugger accosted a German tourist from behind in Harlem Thursday morning. The 31-year-old woman was heading back to her Airbnb rental

Thief: The thug is seen in this screenshot yanking away the woman's bag

Thief: The thug is seen in this screenshot yanking away the woman's bag

Violent turn: The perpetrator then punches the tourist in the head and she falls to the sidewalk 

Violent turn: The perpetrator then punches the tourist in the head and she falls to the sidewalk 

Brutalized: He continues to hit her as she lies unconscious on the concrete, leaving her with several missing teeth 

Brutalized: He continues to hit her as she lies unconscious on the concrete, leaving her with several missing teeth 

He then punches her in the head and she falls to the sidewalk. He continues to hit her as she lies unconscious on the concrete.

According to investigators, the perpetrator struck the woman with such force that he knocked out several of her teeth and left her face bruised and swollen.  

Police say he also tore off the tourist's pants and sexually assaulted her.

The victim was later taken to an area hospital in serious but stable condition.

Detectives suspect the same man carried out a strikingly similar attack in nearby Hamilton Heights last week.

Vile crime: Police say he also tore off the tourist's pants and sexually assaulted her

Vile crime: Police say he also tore off the tourist's pants and sexually assaulted her

This image made from undated surveillance video provided by the New York City Police Department on Friday shows the suspect walking 

This image made from undated surveillance video provided by the New York City Police Department on Friday shows the suspect walking 

In that incident, which took place at 4am on April 24, police say the suspect accosted a 35-year-old woman at West 145th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue - just four blocks away from Thursday’s robbery - and snatched her bag while pretending he was armed with a gun, reported ABC 7 NY.

The thief then hit the victim in the face several times, pulled down her pants and grabbed her groin before fleeing on foot.

The unnamed attacker was described as a 20-year-old black male, standing at 5 feet 8 inches sand weighing 175lbs. He was last seen wearing grey sweatpants, white sneakers and a dark-colored hoodie.

This screenshots from a surveillance video shows the wanted man in a bright green track suit and headphones
The man was believed to have used a stolen credit card to make purchases

Do you know this man? Those are screenshots from surveillance videos taken from various stores showing the wanted man in a bright green track suit and headphones

The 32nd Police Precinct, which is spearheading the search for the assailant, has released screenshots from surveillance videos taken from various stores showing the wanted man in a bright green track suit and headphones.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce tells CBS New York police tracked a credit card stolen in the first April robbery and identified the wanted man.

Once he is taken into custody, police plan to put him in a lineup to see if he was behind both attacks. 

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