new york – Exclusive Photos: The NYPD has arrested an Ecuadorian illegal immigrant in connection to a sexual assault in broad daylight at a popular park in Queens, according to sources. Police say a man with a machete approached a 13-year-old boy and two girls, bound their wrists and raped the girl.
NYPD officials said at a press conference on Tuesday that the suspect, Christian Giovanni Inga Landi, 25, of Ecuador, entered the U.S. illegally in 2021 from near Eagle Pass, Texas, with his 3-year-old child.
After police released security camera footage that showed him near the crime scene, police said tips began pouring in. At least 10 neighbors eventually surrounded him and held him until police arrived about 1 a.m. Tuesday.
13-year-old New York City girl sexually assaulted at knifepoint in broadday light in park: police
Attached is a photo of a migrant who had been arrested for sexual assault, with ripped clothes, a missing shoe and bruises, after residents subdued him and called 911. (Fox News)
“Everybody knew who we were looking for,” said Chief Joseph Kenney. “We had a tip coming in that actually pointed to the name of the perpetrator. Everybody knew who it was. They’d seen him on the street.”
“Body camera footage showed at least 10 neighbors trying to do the right thing,” he added.
Inga Lundy tried to fight off the good Samaritan, who had her legs tied with a belt to stop her from escaping, but police said she sustained minor injuries and was treated for them.
The attack happened Thursday at Kissena Park, about three miles from Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, and near the site of the 1964 World’s Fair and U.S. Open. The victim also attended school in the area.
Still images from surveillance cameras show the suspect riding a bicycle before being arrested. (New York Police Department)
This is even closer to former President Donald Trump’s childhood home.
“I grew up right around the corner from there,” he told Fox News Digital. “This would have been unthinkable a few years ago. It’s unthinkable.”
Trump recalled being able to walk down the street as a child.
“Going to a candy store and walking home was something my parents would never have thought would happen,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “It’s a different world. My parents would never have thought anything would happen.”
But he said the unbridled flow of illegal immigrants across the southern border is getting out of control.
“These are Biden immigrants,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “They’re flooding into our country. They’re flooding into our cities and states.”
He added, “I would like to offer my utmost respect and love to the parents and their family. This tragedy should never have happened.”
Police obtained surveillance camera footage that showed the suspect riding a bicycle and had offered a $10,000 reward in the case.
Police investigate the scene of a sexual assault that occurred in Kissena Corridor Park in Queens, New York, on Thursday, June 13, 2024. According to the NYPD, two people, a 13-year-old boy and girl, were held at knifepoint and tied up, and the girl was then raped by a man who fled the scene. The suspect was arrested Monday night and identified Tuesday as an illegal immigrant from Ecuador. (Peter Gerber)
Police found the suspect after a neighbor saw a wanted poster and recognized him, managed to subdue him and called 911. The victims were able to identify the suspect, and police said they were still examining other forensic evidence, including DNA.
“It was a great job by the police,” said Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD sergeant and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “They extracted the drawings and tattoos from the suspect, they secured surveillance footage, they got help from the public. That’s what the police do.”
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Police said two young people were walking in broadday light when a man in his 20s approached them with a knife and took them into the woods.
After the attack, the man allegedly stole a mobile phone and fled.
Police are investigating the scene of a sexual assault that took place in Kissena Corridor Park in Queens, New York, on Thursday, June 13, 2024. According to the NYPD, two people, a 13-year-old boy and girl, were tied up at knifepoint and the girl was raped by an unknown male assailant who then fled the scene. (Peter Gerber)
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The immigrant had a history of minor criminal offenses, including not paying subway fares and drinking in public. Police said he had also been involved in a domestic violence incident, but was not charged, and it was unclear how he was arrested in Texas.
“Despite the City Council’s opposition, cracking down on petty crimes is important,” Giacalone said, “not only does it act as a deterrent to future crimes, but it also creates an opportunity for police to gather intelligence and pursue those who commit violent crimes like the ones we just saw.”
Police are investigating the scene of a sexual assault that took place in Kissena Corridor Park in Queens, New York, on Thursday, June 13, 2024. According to the NYPD, two people, a 13-year-old boy and girl, were tied up at knifepoint and the girl was raped by an unknown male assailant who then fled the scene. (Peter Gerber)
He said that under the previous administration, fare-evaders were arrested and taken to police stations where they were fingerprinted, which often helped police solve more serious crimes.
Police said the suspect is a Hispanic man in his 20s who wears braces and has a tattoo of a horned animal with red eyes on his chest.
It has not yet been announced when the defendant will be arraigned. He faces numerous charges, including rape, sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a child and kidnapping.
