Police nabbed an alleged serial rapist who they say launched a terrifying series of home invasions and sexual assaults around Greenpoint in the span of a two and a half hours on Monday night.
The attacks started at 8 pm, when the suspect allegedly knocked on the door of a woman’s apartment and, when she opened, struck her unconscious, raped her, and stole her cellphone and laptop. The 24-year-old man then allegedly walked into an unlocked door of an apartment near the corner of Russell Street and Driggs Avenue and forced a disabled woman onto her couch. The suspect ran away after the woman’s husband came to her aid and she grabbed a kitchen knife, but the suspect grabbed a cellphone and slashed the husband in the throat and stomach with a key on his way out, Gothamist reported.
The suspect then allegedly approached a woman who was locking her bike to a pole at the corner of Kingsland and Nassau avenues and struck her in the face with a bag and groped her, police said. A little more than two hours after the first attack, the man allegedly walked into a third apartment and tried to force a woman onto a couch, but was fought off by the victim’s roommate.
Police found the suspect sleeping in the third floor of a building on Nassau Avenue between Newell and Diamond streets around 1:30 am. He allegedly had some of the stolen goods on him.
The man was charged with rape, attempted rape, burglary, robbery, forcible touching, and sexual abuse.
Neighborhood residents say they are concerned about the uptick in serious crime this summer, including the pistol-whipping of a man this weekend and the sidewalk rape of a woman in June.
“It’s getting scary to walk around here,” said Lacey Hoffman, 34, who lives on Leonard Street.
Another Greenpointer who lives on Guernsey Street said his car was stolen a few weeks ago — and later located in the Bronx — but he refuses to be scared away.
“I do still think this is a safe neighborhood,” Loren Cronk said. “Hopefully, [police] will address the spike in crime.”
Reach reporter Danielle Furfaro at dfurfaro@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2511. Follow her at twitter.com/DanielleFurfaro.
