A Jamaica man is facing up to fifteen years in prison after admitting he raped a woman and tried to kill her on a neighborhood rooftop in August 2023, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Monday.
Jerson Vasquez, 25, of 170th Street, pleaded guilty to rape, attempted murder, and other charges in Queens Supreme Court on Friday.
According to the charges and court records, on Aug. 13, 2023, Vasquez responded to an advertisement on Facebook Marketplace for prostitution-related services. He asked the woman who placed the ad to come to an address on 93rd Avenue in Jamaica and directed her to the roof of the location. Vasquez gave the woman $150, which she put in her purse. The woman undressed and began to have intercourse with Vasquez, who grabbed her from behind, put his arms around her neck, and applied pressure.
Vasquez then punched the woman in the face and took back the $150 he had given her, according to charges. He then sat on top of the woman and repeatedly slammed her head onto the rooftop, put his hands around her neck, and applied pressure to her throat. He then penetrated her for a second time.
In addition to the $150, Vasquez took the woman’s cell phone and fled, leaving her on the rooftop, according to the charges. Video surveillance footage showed Vasquez leaving the location at approximately 5:51 p.m. with what looked like blood on his neck and hand.
The victim was admitted to an area hospital for a laceration to the back of her head that required staples to close. The woman had extensive swelling on her head, face, and neck.
“This was a brazen and brutal daytime attack,” Katz said. “The defendant raped a woman on a Jamaica rooftop and slammed her head into a concrete wall, choked and punched her.”
Vasquez pleaded guilty to attempted murder in the second degree, rape in the first degree, and patronizing a person for prostitution in the third degree before Queens Supreme Court Justice Michelle Johnson. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 25, when Vasquez will be ordered to prison for 15 years with 10 years post-release supervision.
“She suffered extensive injuries and will be physically and emotionally scarred by this incident for the rest of her life,” Katz said. “Thanks to her brave testimony, we were able to charge this defendant with rape and attempted murder. We hope that with this plea, the survivor can begin the healing process from this traumatic event.”
