Syracuse Man Taken Into Custody After Being Convicted of Attacking an Actress in 2019

A Syracuse man was convicted on Thursday of attempted kidnapping as a sexually motivated crime after attacking an actress performing at the Landmark Theater in 2019, Syracuse.com reports.

Clifford Woods was caught on police video grabbing the actress as she walked past the Clinton Plaza Apartments in September 2019.

Woods reportedly grabbed the woman around the neck and asked "do you want to die?" When she asked what he wanted, he indicated he wanted to have sex with her. The woman screamed until a passerby called 911 and two motorists confronted Woods, who fled.

Woods' defense lawyer Ben Coffin argued that the footage quality wasn't good enough to corroborate the story, and that there wasn't enough proof that the crime was sexually motivated.

Woods was freed from jail during the pandemic court shutdown last year but was taken back into custody on Thursday after a jury found him guilty. He is facing up to 15 years in prison. Sentencing is set for May 4.

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