Police from the 102nd Precinct spotted a wanted man in front of the Queens Criminal Court in Kew Gardens on Tuesday and arrested him for trying to rape a woman at a Jamaica Hills subway in late February.
Donovan Simmon, 19, of Highland Avenue in Jamaica Hills, was booked at the 102nd Precinct in Richmond Hill, where he was charged with attempted rape and several other crimes for attacking a 20-year-old woman at the 169th Street subway station just blocks from his home during the early morning of Saturday, Feb. 24.
Police from the 107th Precinct in Fresh Meadows reported that the victim was on board a Queens-bound F train just after midnight when her harrowing ordeal began. She had dozed off while heading home from work when she awoke to see Simmon staring at her while allegedly performing a lewd act. She ran off the train after it pulled into the 169th Street station on Hillside Boulevard and Simmon began to follow her to the mezzanine level where he attacked.
Simmon allegedly punched her in the face multiple times, knocking her to the floor. The victim struggled and screamed out for help, alerting a security guard who came to her rescue. Simmon ran out of the station and was last seen running toward 168th Street in the direction of his home on the corner of Highland Avenue and 167th. EMS responded to the crime scene and transported the woman to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where she was treated for her injuries and listed in stable condition.
An NYPD spokeswoman could not explain why Simmons was in front of the Queens Criminal Courthouse. In addition to being charged with attempted rape, Simmon was also charged with unlawful imprisonment, assault and lewdness. His arraignment is pending in Queens Criminal Court, where he was taken into custody.
