Police hunt man caught on surveillance fleeing after choking and trying to rape a 27-year-old woman on a NYC sidewalk

Police are looking for a man who was caught on surveillance fleeing after he tried to rape a woman on a New York City sidewalk Saturday morning. 

The 27-year-old woman was walking on the sidewalk at 7am in Manhattan's Midtown neighborhood when the man grabbed her from behind. 

The suspect grabbed the woman by the throat with both of his hands and pushed her against a storefront on East 33rd Street. 

Police said the suspect then pulled down his pants and tried to rape the woman. 

The woman fought back against the suspect during a brief struggle, according to police. 

She was eventually able to break free of his grip. 

Police said the suspect fled the scene on foot. 

Surveillance footage showed the suspect running down the street as he fled the scene.

The streets appeared to be deserted of pedestrians and there were very few vehicles around at the time. It is not clear where the woman was headed at the time.

She suffered a minor cut to her head during the attack. The woman was evaluated and treated at the scene by first responders.  

The suspect was wearing black pants, a gray T-shirt and white sneakers at the time.