Police have made an arrest Thursday night in the Jan. 6 murder of a 92-year-old Richmond Hill woman, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison.
Detectives from the 106th Precinct and the Queens Detective Squad cuffed 21-year-old Queens man Reeaz Khan, who they say assaulted Maria Fuertes just after midnight as she walked northbound on 127th Street near Liberty Avenue.
Police charged Khan on Friday with murder and sex abuse.
The victim, a resident of 103rd Road, was walking on 127th Street when she was approached from behind by the suspect and assaulted behind a parked car for nearly four minutes before the man fled the scene, according to Harrison.
“In this case, the defendant is alleged to have attacked and sexually assaulted the elderly woman on the street. This was senseless, brutal act of violence,” District Attorney Katz said. “The victim was found with her clothes pulled above her waist and near death. The defendant has been apprehended and now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life locked behind bars.”
NYPD Deputy Chief Joseph Kenny, the commanding officer of Queens Borough South, said the community came forward with multiple tips that led to the arrest. Kenny said Chief Medical Examiner reported that the physical confrontation led to multiple injuries including contusions around her neck and injuries around her private area.
“Miss Fuentes was a fixture in the neighborhood of Richmond Hill,” Kenny said. “She was known on Liberty Avenue. She took strolls in the neighborhood quite often. Like I said, she was a fixture in the community and she will be missed.”
Kenny added that the investigation continues.
