Stuyvesant Heights man gets 17 years to life in prison for sexual assault at knifepoint • Brooklyn Paper

A Stuyvesant Heights man was sentenced to 17 years to life in prison on Tuesday for sexually assaulting a 62-year-old woman on her way to work in 2021.

Leroy Hatcher, 44, was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on June 18 after pleading guilty on May 30 to attempted first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree sexual abuse.

On Feb. 6, 2021, the 62-year-old victim was walking near 482 Kosciuszko St. in Stuyvesant Heights around 5:45 a.m. when Hatcher approached her from behind, grabbed her hair, covered her mouth and forced her into an alley, prosecutors said.

During the attack, Hatcher threatened the woman as she attempted to escape by holding a knife to her throat. He then removed her pants and underwear and assaulted her at knifepoint before fleeing the scene.

Surveillance footage from the area showed Hatcher in the area the morning of the attack, prosecutors said, adding he was positively identified by his probation officer.

DNA evidence also linked Hatcher to the crime. A condom found in the alley contained his DNA as well as that of the victim, prosecutors said.

“This cruel and violent attack on an innocent woman shocks the conscience, and the depravity of the crime justifies today’s lengthy prison sentence,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “We remain committed to seeking justice for all victims of sexual violence and continuing the progress we have made to make Brooklyn safer for all.”