The father of murdered Howard Beach jogger Karina Vetrano is asking the public’s help finding a runner from the neighborhood who “dropped off the face of the Earth” right after the killing.
Phillip Vetrano put out a specific description of the mystery man during an appearance on Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa’s radio show Monday afternoon.
Karina Vetrano, 30, was raped and killed in Spring Creek Park in Howard Beach on Aug. 2.
“There was this one particular runner, and I want to talk to especially the people from my neighborhood, Howard Beach, they have to pay very good attention to this,” Phillip Vetrano said.
“He would run down 84th St., south, towards 165th Ave., make a left heading east on 165th Ave., and return the same route. Now I would see him, I’ve seen him for three years, four or five days a week. I have not seen him since.”
| Philip Vetrano said he wants to talk to a neighborhood jogger who vanished after his daughter, Karina Vetrano, was killed Aug. 2 |
Vetrano also provided a physical description the man is about 5-foot-9 and 150-pounds, with a “very strange” stride, short but fast. He’s between 30 to 35 years old with black hair parted to the side, wears sunglasses, long running shorts and high socks.
“In the wintertime he would wear black black gloves and a black cap. But in the summer, he might run shirtless, and the socks are bright green,” Vetrano said. “But he is very, very fit. Not a weightlifter, about 150 pounds, but extremely fit.”
Police said Monday that the man Vetrano describes is not a suspect in the slaying.
“We’d like to speak with anyone who can assist us in the investigation,” said Sgt. Jessica McRorie, an NYPD spokeswoman.