Urgent manhunt underway for ‘animal’ who allegedly raped 13-year-old girl in Flushing Park on Thursday: NYPD – QNS

The New York Police Department has announced that it is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a Hispanic man who is believed to have raped a 13-year-old girl in a wooded area of ​​Kissena Corridor Park on Thursday afternoon.

More than sixty investigators remained at the scene late into the night. During a press conference held by NYPD leadership on Friday, Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said the manhunt had been expanded to cover the entire city and that the department would spare no expense until the suspect was caught.

“As a father who has been part of this department for many years, I know this is every parent’s nightmare. All communities should be very dismayed by this and ready to help police solve this problem,” Maddrey said. “We will use all investigative resources. And I ask communities again to help us bring closure to this case for these young children and this family.”

He said the girl and a 13-year-old boy were playing soccer in a field near Kalmia Avenue and Colden Street around 3 p.m. after being released from a nearby school when a stranger approached them and told them in Spanish to follow him into the woods. When the teens refused, the suspect told them in English to shut up, then brandished a machete-like knife and told them to follow him into the woods.

“The children were forced at knifepoint to follow him to a secluded area of ​​the park, where he tied the boy and girl’s wrists together with a shoelace,” said NYPD Chief of Investigations Joseph Kenny. “The perpetrator then sexually assaulted the 13-year-old girl. When the assault was over, the perpetrator ordered both victims to remain in place for 20 minutes while he fled on foot after robbing both children of their cell phones.”

The teenagers returned to their school and informed staff of what had happened in the park. The school’s safety department immediately notified 911 and arranged for an immediate response. Emergency services arrived at the school and took the victims to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens, where they were in stable condition.

During Friday’s press conference, with drones buzzing overhead, Kenny said the shoelace and a water bottle used by the suspect were recovered from the scene and are being used as forensic evidence in the investigation.

Kenny described the suspect as a light-skinned Hispanic man in his twenties with short curly hair and braces.

“He has a tattoo on the left side of his chest that is described as a bull or other animal with red eyes and horns,” Kenny said.

He was wearing a black T-shirt, black sweatpants, red sneakers and had a green backpack with him.

John Chell, chief of patrol at the NYPD, described the investigation as a response by all parties involved.

“We’re working hand-in-hand with the Detective Bureau, whatever Chief Kenny and his people need,” Chell said. “We’ll be working with school safety and community affairs, whether it’s doing street surveillance, gathering intelligence, handing out fliers, whatever we need to do to get this animal – this animal – off the streets.”

Council member Sadra Ung, who represents the district, issued a statement on Friday asking the public for help in identifying the suspect.

“My deepest sympathies go out to the young victims and their families following Thursday’s horrific incident in Kissena Park,” Ung said. “No child should ever have to experience such trauma. If anyone has information about this horrific attack, please contact the NYPD or 109th Precinct immediately. Your cooperation could be critical to apprehending the suspect and preventing further harm. I have been in touch with both the NYPD and Mayor Adams about this incident and their efforts to apprehend the suspect. I will also be working closely with them on strategies and necessary equipment to improve public safety in Kissena Park.”

NYPD Deputy Chief of Police Kaz Daughtry said small cameras would be installed throughout the park. “We will stop at nothing until we bring this monster to justice,” Daughtry said.

Anyone with information regarding this sexual assault investigation is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by visiting the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.orgor on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages will be kept confidential.
Detective Crystal Doxsee of the Queens Special Victims Squad is the lead investigator on the case and can be reached at 718-520-9272. As of June 9, the 109th Precinct has reported a dozen rapes so far in 2024, 5 fewer than the 17 reported at the same time last year, a 29.4% decrease, according to the latest CompStat report.