The New York City Police Department (NYPD) on Tuesday, the 10th, arrested a suspect in Miami, Florida, in the knifepoint rape in Manhattan's Central Park on Saturday, the 24th of last month. Police also plan to charge the suspect in rapes in Central Park in 2023 and 2021.
According to ABC7 New York, the NYPD arrested Dereck Rivera-Deleon in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday, the 10th. He is accused of threatening a woman with a knife and raping her in Manhattan's Central Park on Saturday, the 24th of last month. Police said they also plan to charge him in rapes that occurred in Central Park in 2023 and 2021.
NYPD detectives assigned to the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, which is supported by the U.S. Marshals Service, carried out the arrest. According to police, the suspect was caught while working at a Burger King in Miami, more than two weeks after the incident.
According to police, at around 8:30 p.m. on the 24th of last month, a 39-year-old woman was walking near East 67th Street and East Drive inside Central Park when a man approached her and threatened her by displaying a knife. Police said the suspect dragged the victim into a heavily wooded area, raped her, and fled on foot. The victim was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition. Investigators released surveillance camera photos and video in an effort to identify the suspect.
Right after the attack, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the crime as "horrific," saying everyone should be able to walk safely anywhere in the city. The NYPD increased patrols throughout Central Park and urged visitors to be aware of their surroundings. Police said arrests have been made in three of the five rapes reported in Central Park this year.