Five Women Are Assaulted in Central Park

NEW YORK — Police on Monday were investigating a series of assaults in which a group of men robbed, stripped and sexually abused five women in well-traveled parts of Central Park, one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions.

The daylight attacks followed Sunday’s annual Puerto Rican Day parade. Hundreds of thousands of celebrants crowded Manhattan’s streets to wave flags and cheer floats filled with celebrities and local political leaders, including rival Senate candidates First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rep. Rick Lazio (R-N.Y.).

After the parade early Sunday evening, a gang of about 15 men attacked Central Park visitors, police said. In the course of an hour, the suspects sprayed water on two teenagers from Long Island, then robbed, stripped and fondled them. They then robbed and fondled a 28-year-old French woman while other suspects held back her husband, police said. The group of men also attacked three teenage girls visiting from England. One of the women from an earlier attack identified two of the suspects while searching the park with police.

Officers arrested David Rowe, 24, of Hempstead, N.Y., and Tremayne Bayne, 23, of Brooklyn. Both men were being held on robbery and sexual abuse charges. Police were looking for other suspects.