Sick susp is nabbed
Say he tried to rape woman in subway as crowd watched
Cops arrested Sunday a suspect they say knocked a woman off her feet in an Upper East Side subway station, then climbed on top of her and tried to rape her as a shocked crowd gathered and filmed the terrifying attack.
The 25-year-old victim first encountered suspect Jose Reyes about 11 a.m. on Saturday while riding an F train, authorities said.
“He appeared to be smoking some type of hookah and started making weird noises and laughing to himself,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said of the deranged suspect.
When the rattled woman got off the train at the Lexington Ave.-E. 63rd St. stop, the sicko followed her.
“Mr. Reyes gestured in a masturbation motion towards her, and the [victim], in an attempt to avoid him, moved in a different direction,” Harrison said. “Mr Reyes follows her, which resulted in him assaulting her, punching her, pushing her to the ground, climbing on top of her and attempting to spread her legs.”
He thrust his body back and forth on top of her while the crowd watched in horror, the video shows.
A Good Samaritan intervened and started recording with a cell phone. Cops released that video early Sunday and asked the public’s help identifying the wouldbe rapist.
“This heinous and horrendous act was interrupted by a Good Samaritan who observed Mr. Reyes’ behavior and got him to cease his behavior while subsequently videotaping the incident,” Harrison said.
As more bystanders gathered, the creep ran off — but not before mouthing off a few inaudible words to the crowd and grabbing his sunglasses off the floor, the video shows.
The victim was left with minor injuries and refused medical attention, police said.
Facial recognition from the video matched up with Reyes’ mug shot from a criminal mischief arrest last year, Harrison said.
“We did an absolutely phenomenal job swiftly, expeditiously working overnight to identify who our perpetrator was,” said Harrison.
But police still needed help finding him.
Three civilians called in Crime Stoppers tips after seeing the video, leading cops to find Reyes, 31, hanging out at 105th St. and Lexington Ave. in East Harlem about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
“If there’s any messages going to be taken, it is we need the community’s help, we need the people’s help,” Harrison said. “In order for us to be successful, in order for us to stop the violence, we have to work together.”
Reyes allegedly admitted to the attack and had drugs in his possession. He lives in Soundview, the Bronx, according to police.
“There does seem like there was some type of drug use that might have been involved,” Harrison said of the attack.
Reyes has 15 past arrests, three of which took place in the subway system, but none of them were sexual in nature, Harrison said. Public records show he was sentenced to one to three years in prison for grand larceny in Manhattan in 2013 and was paroled a year later.
He awaits arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on attempted rape, assault and harassment charges.
“This is disturbing and disgraceful,” said MTA spokeswoman Abbey Collins. “No one should ever have to experience this type of horrific attack in the transit system.”