The NYPD announced a $10,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of a Hispanic man who allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl in a wooded area of Kissena Corridor Park on Thursday afternoon.
More than sixty investigators were at the crime scene late into the night. During a press briefing by NYPD brass on Friday, Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said that the manhunt was expanded city-wide and that the department would spare no expense until the suspect was apprehended.
“As a father, a member of this department for many years, this is a parent’s nightmare, and all the communities should be very upset about this and be willing to come out and help the police department as we try to resolve this issue,” Maddrey said. “We will use every investigative resource. And I again implore the community to help us bring closure to this case for these young children and this family.”
He said the girl and a 13-year-old boy were kicking around a soccer ball on a field near Kalmia Avenue and Colden Street at around 3 p.m. after they were dismissed from a nearby school when a stranger approached and ordered them in Spanish to follow him into the woods. When the youngsters refused, the suspect told them to shut up in English and then brandished a machete-style knife and demanded they follow him into the woods.
“The children were forced at knifepoint to follow him into a secluded area of the park, where he tied the boy and girl’s wrists together with a shoelace,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. “The perpetrator then sexually assaulted the 13-year-old girl. When the assault was concluded, the perpetrator told both victims to stay at the location for 20 minutes while he fled on foot after robbing both children of their cell phones.”
The youngsters returned to their school and informed staff of what had occurred in the park. The school safety division immediately notified 911, generating an immediate response. EMS responded to the school and transported the victims to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens, where they were listed in stable condition.
With drones buzzing overhead during Friday’s press briefing, Kenny said the shoelace and a water bottle used by the suspect had been recovered at the crime scene and are being processed as forensic evidence in the investigation.
Kenny described the suspect as a light-skinned Hispanic man in his 20s with short curly hair with braces on his teeth.
Pursuant to the ongoing investigation, detectives have released a sketch of the suspect.
“He has a tattoo on the left side of his chest, described as a bull, or some other kind of animal, with red eyes and horns,” Kenny said.
He wore a black T-shirt, black sweatpants, and red sneakers and he was carrying a green backpack.
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell called the investigation an “all hands” response.
“We are working hand in hand with the Detective Bureau, whatever Chief Kenny and his people need,” Chell said. ”We will work with school safety and community affairs, whether it be street enforcement, to elicit information, to leafleting, whatever we need to do to take this animal — animal — off the streets.”
Council Member Sadra Ung, who represents the district, issued a statement on Friday asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect.
“My heart goes out to the young victims and their families following the horrifying incident in Kissena Park on Thursday,” Ung said. “No child should ever have to experience such trauma. If anyone has any information about this terrible attack, please contact the NYPD or the 109th Precinct immediately. Your cooperation could be crucial in apprehending the suspect and preventing further harm. I have been in contact with both the NYPD and Mayor Adams regarding this incident and their efforts to apprehend the suspect. I will also be working closely with them on strategies and the necessary equipment to improve public safety in Kissena Park.”
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said small cameras are being installed around the park. “We will leave no stone unturned until we bring this monster to justice,” Daughtry said.
Anyone with information regarding this sexual assault investigation is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
Detective Crystal Doxsee of the Queens Special Victims Squad is the lead investigator on the case and can be reached at 718-520-9272. Through June 9, the 109th Precinct has reported a dozen rapes so far in 2024, 5 fewer than the 17 reported at the same point last year, a decline of 29.4%, according to the most recent CompStat report.
