CT woman brutally beaten at NY bar

New York, NY (WTNH) - Police in New York have arrested the man they think is responsible for attacking a Connecticut nurse at a NYC bar.

Mbarek Lafrem, 30 of 666 Seneca Avenue in Norwood, Pennsylvania is charged with assault and attempted rape.

The victim is a nurse from Connecticut and her friends say the beating she took early Thursday morning was brutal.

During the course of the day Thursday, police took out evidence from a bar called "Social". It happened around 2:30 a.m. in a third floor ladies room. The woman was brutalized and apparently her head was slammed against a toilet. When her friends found her, she was bleeding, had a broken nose, a shattered eye socket and a cracked skull.

Her friends say she turned down a man who asked her to dance earlier in the night, went to the bathroom and never came back.

"Her friend goes up to find her, she was missing for a period of time, she goes up, finds her sprawled on the floor," said NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

The woman was unconscious, but woke up three hours later.

"She apparently becomes conscious about 5:30 a.m., tells what happens, and thats when police respond," added Kelly.

Customers there Thursday say they can't believe it. "I'm in shock because we've had networking parties here and they have a lovely upstairs and feel bad for this place because this can happen anywhere," said customer Loren Ellis.

The man police want to question, was spotted on surveillance camera, leaving just after it happened. He's described as hispanic, and in his 30's. However, the problem is, police still have no idea where he is.

Police are not releasing the victim's name or where she resides in Connecticut. There is no word on her condition at this time.