A man wanted in the attempted sexual assault of a 53-year-old woman in an Astoria elevator has been charged in the attack, officials said.
Elvis McKenzie, 27, who police have been seeking since last week, was arrested Sunday and arraigned Monday in Queens Criminal Court on charges of attempted rape, assault and criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, according to the NYPD and prosecutors.
McKenzie, a Flushing resident, is accused of following the victim into her building’s elevator at about 11:30 a.m. on June 2, where he put his hand in his pants and rubbed his genitals before punching her in the face several times and choking the woman, District Attorney Richard Brown said.
He then allegedly exposed himself to the victim and attempted to pull down her pants. At that point, the elevator doors opened on one of the floors, and the victim was able to use her leg to prevent the doors from closing, according to the district attorney. She then began screaming for help and McKenzie fled.
“The defendant is accused of following his victim like a predator and waiting until she was isolated and trapped inside an elevator before attempting to sexually assault her. The fact that the alleged attack took place in her own residence must have only added to the victim’s frightening ordeal,” Brown said.
McKenzie served three years in state prison after being convicted in 2007 for sexually abusing a 26-year-old woman in White Plains, according to state public records and published reports.
He also has several other prior arrests for assault, gang assault, robbery, theft of service, criminal possession of stolen property and attempted robbery, ABC New York reported.
McKenzie faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. He was ordered held on $200,000 bail and to return to court on June 23.
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