Ecuadorean migrant Christian Inga was criminally charged Wednesday with first-degree rape, two counts of kidnapping, predatory sexual assault, and other crimes for attacking two 13-year-olds who were in Kissena Corridor Park in the middle of the afternoon on June 13.
He allegedly held the two children at knifepoint in a wooded area where he tied the hands of the boy and girl together with a shoelace and then raped the girl.
Inga, 25, who lived at a rooming house near Waldron Street and 108th Street in Corona, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Wednesday afternoon and remanded without bail by Judge Joanne Watters. If convicted, Inga faces 25 years to life in prison.
According to the charges, at around 3:30 p.m. on June 13, Inga approached the two children as they played soccer in the Flushing park after school and brandished a long-bladed knife or machete. He tied the children to one another and gagged them with pieces of cloth. He forcibly took the cell phones from both kids and raped the girl before running out of the park.
“This attack on two children in broad daylight in a city park strikes the very core of our society,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “According to the complaint, this defendant confronted the boy and girl, tied the children to one another, gagged them, and then raped the girl before fleeing the park. Thank you to the brave victims for coming forward and the NYPD for its quick action in apprehending the defendant who will now face justice in our courts.”
Some chilling new details emerged about the attack during the arraignment. Prosecutors said Inga told investigators that he had recorded part of the sexual assault of the young girl and told detectives that he has a drug problem.
Inga was also charged with robbery, obstructing governmental administration, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Judge Watters ordered him to return to court on July 1.
Inga crossed into the United States illegally at Eagle Pass, Texas in June 2021, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
Following the arraignment, Katz thanked members of the Corona community for tracking down Inga outside a local bodega on Monday night and detaining him until police arrived to take him into custody. She also spoke to reporters about the bravery of the young victims.
“It is amazing that from what they went through, their identification, their memory of the tattoo, the braces, all which was right on point, it’s a remarkable thing for two 13-year-olds to remember,” Katz said. “And then the manhunt that ensued after that in this city. I do want to thank the individuals who made phone calls, who gave tips, who made sure we found Christian Inga in a timely fashion.”
