Police Charge Man After Assaulting Elderly Woman in Brooklyn

According to reports, an elderly woman was reportedly assaulted while she slept in her Brooklyn home on Thursday, and the alleged attacker made off with her pyjama pants.

Selvin Maladiaga, 43, has been charged with several serious offenses, including rape, robbery, and sexual abuse, following the incident that occurred on August 30. Authorities state that Maladiaga gained entry into the 71-year-old woman’s house by climbing through a kitchen window. It’s been said that he suffocated the victim, assaulted her, and stole her pyjama pants before fleeing the scene.

The suspect took nothing else during the break-in, and the woman was later treated at a hospital. Reports indicate that Maladiaga faced additional charges related to criminal behavior in another incident, with police apprehending him at a hotel near New York’s LaGuardia Airport around 9 a.m. on Thursday.

This wasn’t Maladiaga’s first run-in with the law. Back in November 2024, he faced allegations of involvement in another crime at a Cypress Hills club, where he was accused of emotional and sexual abuse. As of now, he is awaiting legal proceedings for both cases.

Maladiaga resides in East Elmhurst, Queens, which is roughly eight miles from where the victim lived. There are still unanswered questions about why he was in Brooklyn during the incident, and authorities believe it’s unlikely he and the victim had any prior connection.

Police managed to locate Maladiaga after releasing surveillance footage and received tips that led to his arrest.