Cohoes man faces sexual assault charges
Local activist Zeoli indicted following Nov. 3 attack
A 21-year-old Barker Park activist who has alleged he was abused by police was arrested Thursday afternoon on a Rensselaer County grand jury indictment warrant for felony sexual assault charges, city police said.
Kenneth J. Zeoli of Cohoes faces charges of
first-degree rape, firstdegree sexual assault and second-degree strangulation for an alleged sexual assault of a woman on Nov. 3, police said. The woman reported on Nov. 8 that she had been sexually attacked, police said.
“After a through investigation, the case was presented to a grand jury by the Rensselaer County District Attorney ’s Office,” the report released by Deputy Chief Dan Dewolf Thursday said. The statement said “an indictment warrant was issued” for Zeoli’s arrest on the three charges.
Zeoli was arrested without incident at 3:15 p.m.
Thursday in the area of Middleburgh Street and Sixth Avenue in the North Central neighborhood when he was seen by detectives, police said. Zeoli was sent to the Rensselaer County jail where he is awaiting arraignment in County Court at a later date.
Zeoli has alleged he was injured at the city police station on Aug. 21 after he was charged with trespassing and marijuana possession. Zeoli had gone to the police station with other Barker Park activists to file a complaint about chairs being removed from the park. The station incident escalated after Sgt. Sean Kittle did not give Zeoli a complaint form. The city had taken out park benches that were used by the homeless. Zeoli’s attorney Matthew Toporowski has said previously that his client has alleged that he was pushed down stairs by Kittle and was injured. Toporowski said he does not represent Zeoli in the sex assault case.
Zeoli also has been charged with felony thirddegree criminal mischief for allegedly damaging a vehicle during a protest that occurred after he left police custody. Toporowski has claimed that this arrest was retaliation by Troy police for Zeoli’s assault allegation. The Rensselaer County Probation Department has cited this arrest in asking county court to place Zeoli on five years’ probation for an earlier felony forgery charge in East Greenbush instead of his 11-month interim probation.