NYPD: Suspected child molester caught in NYC park

According to several media reports, local residents discovered the man on the street and detained him until police arrived early in the morning.

June 18, 2024, 11:38 a.m. EDT

NEW YORK CITY — A man was taken into custody Tuesday in connection with the rape of a 13-year-old girl in a Queens park last week, authorities said.

A 13-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl were in Kissena Park in Flushing around 3:30 p.m. on June 13 when they were approached by an unknown man, police said.

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The man then pulled out a knife and dragged the 13-year-olds into a forest, where he took their cell phones and tied them up, police said.

The man then raped the girl and fled the scene, police said.

On Monday, police released surveillance footage of the suspect and asked the public for help in locating him.

The man has not been identified, but appears to be a 25-year-old immigrant, according to the New York Post.

Local residents spotted the man on the street and detained him until police arrived early in the morning, the Post reported.

Police said no charges have yet been filed against the arrested man.