An imposter pretending to be an immigration officer pulled a 51-year-old woman into a basement in Downtown Brooklyn and tried to assault her before stealing from her during a frightening incident on Tuesday morning according to police.

The woman was standing in the entrance of a building at Montague and Henry streets around 10:50 a.m. waiting for a taxi when the perpetrator approached her, claiming to be an immigration agent, as per authorities.

He then allegedly dragged the woman into an elevator, taking her down to the basement, police sources said. 

There, he punched the woman in the face, knocking her to the ground, the sources said. 

He then allegedly took off the woman’s pants and underwear – until she pleaded with him to stop, the sources said. 

The vicious attacker then grabbed the woman’s chain, cellphone and purse before fleeing on Montague Street toward Henry Street, cops said. 

After the incident, the victim was brought to a nearby hospital where she received treatment for cuts on her face, scratches, and bruises. Authorities mentioned that she was in stable condition following the attack.

Investigators believe the woman may have been targeted because of her ethnicity or race, sources said.

Footage released by the NYPD shows the alleged perv, wearing a blue jacket, a black sweatshirt underneath with the hood pulled up, black pants and white sneakers as he strolled on the sidewalk. 

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at or on X @NYPDTips.