Suspect charged with multiple counts of sexual assault in Central Park

NEW YORK – The New York Police Department announced Wednesday that a suspect has been arrested in connection with the sexual assault of a woman in Central Park last month.

Jermaine Longmire, 43, was charged with attempted rape and sexual assault in connection with the June 24 incident. He pleaded not guilty to both counts at his afternoon arraignment and is due back in court on July 10.

According to police, Longmire was recently arrested for repeated touching in the New York City subway system, and while in custody, his DNA was used to link him to the Central Park sexual assault case.

“Investigators were able to conduct a video recording to follow this individual to West 104th Street, where they were able to obtain video from a business location that gave us a clear image of the perpetrator’s face. This image was sent to our facial recognition system, which produced a match,” said Chief of Investigators Joseph Kenny. “Upon completion of the investigation, Jermaine Longmire’s DNA was discovered on the survivor’s bikini bottoms.”

According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Longmire, who currently lives in a homeless shelter on 123rd Street, has been arrested eight times in New York City and has a long criminal history in several states, including New Jersey, Maryland and Florida, mostly related to crimes related to sexual abuse.

The victim was sunbathing alone in the Great Hill section of the park, near West Drive and 104th Street, when a man exposed himself and attacked her, police said. She was able to fight him off, and he ran away.

“The defendant approached this woman while touching himself, knocked her to the ground and attempted to penetrate her. She resisted while running away and suffered cuts and bruises,” the prosecutor said. “After fleeing the area, he removed his shirt and discarded what he was wearing.”

“As alleged, Jermaine Longmire attempted to rape a woman in Central Park last month while she was sunbathing. Our parks should be a place where New Yorkers can relax without fearing for their safety, and this alleged behavior will not be tolerated,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “Our Special Victims Division has the resources to both hold perpetrators accountable and support survivors in their recovery; please call us at 212-335-9373.”

The alleged attack came amid a recent spike in crime in Central Park. NYPD data from late April showed a rise in robberies in the precinct, from three in 2023 to 15 during the same period this year.

On March 30 “Boardwalk Empire” actor Michael Stuhlbarg was hit by a rock in the parkA few hours later, a 39-year-old woman was approached by a man who hit her with a hammer, police said.

At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, police said there had been an increase in rapes in the city between April and June. In 16 cases, the victims were attacked by strangers. As a result, police are increasing patrols in parks. The special unit for victims is also being expanded because more and more people are coming forward.

“For the Fourth of July, we have selected 19 parks across New York City where we believe additional police officers should be deployed… and that will be the case,” said Michael Lipetri, director of the Division of Crime Prevention Strategies.

The police also announced that they would set up several cameras in Central Park and the surrounding area.