NEW YORK — Police arrested a man early Saturday morning in connection with the rape of a 27-year-old woman in Central Park earlier this week. 

Paulie Velez, 25, was charged with one count of first-degree rape, one count of first-degree sexual abuse, one count of second-degree strangulation and one count of second-degree sexually motivated robbery at his arraignment Saturday night, a complaint filed with the Manhattan District Attorney's office shows. 

Prosecutors said the woman was jogging on a footpath near Central Park's Swan Lake around 7:10 a.m. on Thursday when Velez allegedly choked her, pushed her to the ground and raped her. 

The attack left the woman with cuts to the inside of her mouth, scratches on her face and neck and a bruise on her head, according to the complaint. 

Surveillance footage showed Velez fleeing the scene and entering a subway station with the woman's cell phone in his hand, the DA's office said. Velez' attorney on Sunday declined to comment on his arrest.

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, NYPD Special Victims Department Inspector Michael King said authorities believed the woman may have been unconscious for some time after the attack. After the attack, the woman flagged down a passerby who called for help, police said. She was hospitalized soon after. 

Lorri Zeiders, who was running in the area Saturday morning, told NY1 she was relieved a suspect had been taken into custody.

“I’m glad he’s arrested. Of course, does it make me feel safer? Not necessarily,” Zeiders said.

Zeiders said she loves running in Central Park in the morning, and was upset to hear the attack happened at that time of day.

“I think it’s really disturbing," she said. "I tend to think the mornings are a safe time to run."

Eva Jouravlev, who runs in the evenings, said she was shocked by the news. She said she alters her route to jog where there is better lighting.

“Some places in the park are so dark, and usually when I have to run one hour, I go 30 minutes on west side and turn around and go 30 minutes on the other side,” Jouravlev said.