Hochul, Blakeman hit trail; police hunt Central Park suspect

Right now at six, just over one week to go, and New York's governor's race is front and center. Both Governor Kathy Hochul and Bruce Blakeman hitting the campaign trail with a new poll coming into focus. Also, police say two Jewish men were attacked in Midtown, and now a woman is facing hate crime charges. What the criminal complaint reveals, and the bail that a judge has just set. But first, a terrifying attack in Central Park. A 39-year-old woman sexually assaulted at knife point. Good evening, I'm Arthur Chien. Welcome to the 6 o'clock news. Police say a man approached the woman near 5th Avenue last night. She is in stable condition. So far, no arrests have been made. Fox 5's Kendall Green is live for us in Central Park with the latest developments. Good evening, Kendall. Hey, good evening, Arthur. Up to 115,000 people come to Central Park every day. and this woman. One of them, police report, was sexually assaulted and held at knife point by that perpetrator. And here's what we know as we get you some video here of the scene earlier. NYPD officers and other first responders were on scene here on the eastern edge of Central Park near East 66th Street, and they received a call about the sexual assault of a 39-year-old unidentified victim. And police tell us around 8.30, that man behind the act displayed a knife and went on to sexually assault that victim. And at this hour, police say they haven't made an arrest in connection with the crime. Now, the 39-year-old woman was taken to a hospital where she's currently undergoing treatment. And early today, a resident in the area tells us he had just ridden past a jogger along the path here in Central Park last night and was thinking to himself, it was an unsafe time to be out in the park alone. And he described yesterday what initially didn't strike him as a crime scene. Take a listen. Eight or ten police officers right in this area where we're standing. The person who was not a police officer was a bit further, sort of just outside the park, just outside the wall there. She seemed a little bit distressed. There was a lot sort of happening, so I was concerned about whether I could go through or whether I needed to go back another way. Now, Council Speaker Julie Menin shared her outrage on social media this morning, posting in part, quote, My thoughts are with the survivor, and I hope she makes a full recovery. And she went on to add, Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in our city. The perpetrator remains at large, but I have confidence that the NYPD will work swiftly to apprehend him and bring him to justice. Now, if anyone was in the area at that time around 830 here in Central Park and knows anything about what happened or where that perpetrator may be, you're asked to call police. but we're live here in Central Park tonight. Kendall Green, Fox 5 News. Also, thanks back to you, Arthur. Kendall, thank you very much. Well, the Catholic Archdiocese of New York and attorneys for about 1,300 parishioners who said they were sexually abused by clergy members have agreed to an $800 million settlement. Archbishop Ronald Hicks sent an email to clergy today confirming the settlement after attorneys for the survivors of alleged abuse announced it. Now, Hicks says agreement will not be finalized until it is signed by all the parties and that is scheduled to happen the week of November 6th. The agreement would end more than seven years of lawsuits. The archbishop's statement to Fox 5 says in part that he his will quote this will quote bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victims and survivors. This agreement will also allow the archdiocese to turn its full attention once again to its mission of preaching the gospel, healing the sick, caring for the poor and needy, welcoming the stranger, and educating our children. Meanwhile, police have arrested a woman accused of targeting two Jewish men in midtown Manhattan. 32-year-old Anna Mokotlova faces hate crime charges in connection with the incidents on Wednesday. According to the criminal complaint, both men suffered cuts after feeling sharp stinging from some sort of object. One man also says Makalova threatened to shoot him and reached inside her jacket. Prosecutors say the suspect targeted the men because of their religion. A judge set bail at $50,000 or $150,000 in bond. Makalova is due back in court this Thursday. A suspect is now being charged in that chaotic police-involved shooting in Queens police say 48 year old Rochon Donovan is facing attempted murder assault and other charges they say he was in the residence when they were called to a home invasion and a stabbing on 149th street in south ozone park this was friday night detectives say several people suffered stab wounds at that location inside that home and according to authorities police asked two men and a woman to show their hands. But police say the woman moved towards the officers with a knife in her hand. And it was at that point that officials say an officer opened fire shooting the woman. Neighbors say they are shocked. It's just an unfortunate situation. They were a good family. Yes. Yeah. You know, you hear people say that, but I mean, me having dealings with them and being that close with them, I was just with the father this week. As for the woman who was shot. Police say she's in stable condition. They also add that they do not believe she was responsible for neither the home invasion nor the initial stabbing. Let's turn our attention outside right now. Maybe a chilly night ahead for us before a sunny day returns for the start of the week, but the numbers may impress you. It is time for our first look at our weather. Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler is here with our forecast. Hi, Lauren. Hi, Arthur. It was another nice day across the tri-state area. We are just having this stretch of nice weather continue. I hope we can keep it up and it looks that we are going to keep it up as we head towards this upcoming week. Right now, low 60 degrees in Central Park, 63 in LaGuardia, Atlantic City a few degrees warmer there, 57 degrees, but plenty of sunshine to go around as we wrap up another beautiful day. All those temperatures across the tri-state area from Long Island to the Jersey Shore, everywhere in between, seeing those temperatures in the 50s and 60s right now. So not feeling all that bad. Winds are rather light. They've been light throughout the day today. We have some dry air moving in. We are seeing those light winds overhead around 5 to 10 miles per hour at the most. Planner, though, shows us that as we go hour by hour into the evening, yes, those temperatures dropping some. We're not seeing those freeze warnings, frost advisories like we have the past couple of nights, but still going to be a cool evening. Comfortable, though, as those temperatures begin to drop from the 60s to the 50s. Waking up tomorrow morning, 30s, 40s and 50s across the tri-state area. but yet again you're seeing mostly clear skies as we head into sunset and into the overnight hours looking at your weather headline our nice stretch of weather stays around thank goodness upper 60s as we look ahead for your monday so temperature is actually slightly above normal normal would be around 62 degrees so we're talking upper 60s in store even some spots i wouldn't be surprised to reach the low 70s come tomorrow cool comfortable evening ahead and yes That nice, dry stretch of weather continues, Arthur. I'll show you what that looks like in our seven-day forecast coming up. All right, looking forward to it. Thanks, Lori. Well, Election Day is just around the corner, and according to the New York City Board of Elections, at least 86,000 people already showed up to the polls on day one for early voting, which began yesterday. As the time ticks down, campaign events have been ramping up, and Fox 5's Nikki Houser heard from both camps, who both had a lot to say in New York's highly publicized gubernatorial race. Gubernatorial candidates making a last-minute push this weekend, 10 days before Election Day. Inside Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani at her side, and several labor unions in the audience, Democrat incumbent and Governor Kathy Hochul called for affordable child care, groceries, and housing. I was one of those parents who needed child care and had to give up a job that I loved because I didn't have access to child care. And now those babies that I had a long time ago are having trouble finding child care. So this is deeply personal. I can work with the mayor and tell a family that you do not have to spend 20 to 40 thousand dollars per year on child care. That changes the whole value proposition of being a New Yorker. She also criticized her Republican opponent and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who was at a separate rally Sunday in Yorktown Heights, his campaign zeroing in on major tax reductions. Every place that we've gone throughout the state, people are miserable under Kathy Hochul. They just feel that she doesn't care about them and their families. We're the highest taxed state in America. Our utility bills are 70% higher than the national average. And Kathy Hochul is the most pro-criminal governor in America. We need to change that. One of the latest polls out of Quinnipiac University shows Hochul in the lead by 14 percentage points. Still time, though, before Election Day, which is just over a week away on November 3rd. In Brooklyn, I'm Nikki Hauser, Fox 5 News. Tonight, the Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Harlem is celebrating more than two centuries of faith and history. They are the oldest black church in New York State, and they are marking their 230th anniversary. Today's celebration included a special worship service and a luncheon. Guests were also invited to explore the church's heritage center, which houses historic artifacts and the crypt of the denomination's first bishop, James Varick. Up next, a dog dressed as Beyoncé and a four-legged grandma. The Upper West Side's furry friends are competing today for Halloween bragging rights. Plus, we got a talent show, too.