Number of Rampage
Victims Hits 16

By ALICE McQUILLAN, BARBARA ROSS and CORKY SIEMASZKO
Daily News Staff Writers

As the investigation of the Central Park rampage broadened to include
police
officers, nine new victims came forward yesterday ? boosting the number
of
women assaulted Sunday from seven to 16.

Their stories mirror the accounts given by other victims and witnesses,
painting a sordid scene where at least 25 men doused unsuspecting women
with
water, then sexually attacked them.

Among the new victims was a 14-year-old girl who told detectives that as
she
left the park at 59th St. about 6 p.m. Sunday, she was surrounded by a
group
of men who tore her top off and snatched a chain from her neck.

A 19-year-old Queens woman also told cops she had been sexually abused
and
robbed, at 6:20 p.m. Sunday, by a pack of men at Central Park South and
Sixth
Ave. ? her brother powerless to stop the score of attackers.

Police investigators are reviewing four videotapes depicting some of the
chaos, including footage aired on two local TV stations.

Jose Mercado, who made one of the tapes, said he’s more shocked about
what
happened now that he’s seen the footage.

“It started out as innocent fun until it got out of hand,” he said. “I
was in
the middle, and I didn’t realize what was happening until it happened.
Now I
look at it and I can’t believe it.”

Two suspects were behind bars last night after pleading not guilty to
sexually assaulting and robbing an 18-year-old British tourist in the
park.

Tremayne Bain, 23, of Brooklyn, and David Rowe, 24, of LeFrak City,
Queens,
each was ordered held on $10,000 bail.

“The complaining witness was surrounded by a large group of males,
including
the two defendants,” prosecutor Leigh Geller said. “They began touching
her
everywhere, groping her … causing cuts to her.”

Rowe’s lawyer, David Kapner, said the London student must have been “very

traumatized” and “made an erroneous identification.” He insisted Rowe was

picked because the woman told cops one man was wearing a Latrell Sprewell

Knicks jersey ? just like the one Rowe wore in court yesterday.

Dave Blake, president of the Tenants’ Association at LeFrak City, added
that
he’s known Rowe since the suspect was a kid and is convinced he and his
pals
are innocent.

“They work, they have decent jobs,” he said. “It’s just a case of
mistaken
identity.”

Bain’s lawyer, Gordan Ludwig, said his client “flatly denies he had
anything
to do” with the attack, adding he intends to waive immunity and tell a
grand
jury that.

Meanwhile, more women told investigators yesterday they also had been
attacked.

Two 21-year-old women said they were sexually abused at Central Park
South.
A 23-year-old woman said she was sexually abused and suffered a scratch
on
the chest at Park Traverse Road, near Sixth Ave. and 59th St.
Two 22-year-old women said they were sexually abused and robbed of a
chain,
one at 59th St. and Sixth Ave. and the other at Sixth Ave. and Central
Park
South.
Two women, ages 23 and 28, said they were sexually abused in the park
near
Sixth Ave. and Central Park South. The 28-year-old said she also was
assaulted.
Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the
arrests
of the other attackers. The Manhattan district attorney urged witnesses
to
call the sex crimes hotline at (212) 335-9373.

With Michele McPhee, Scott Shifrel and Richard Weir

Original Publication Date: 06/14/2000