Photo courtesy of the NYPD
Police confirm a 46-year-old man has been arrested following a rape and robbery that occurred on Monday, May 9, in Pelham Parkway.
The NYPD had asked for the public’s assistance identifying the individual seen in the attached surveillance photo who they had sought regarding the incident.
It was reported to police that on May 9, at around 10 p.m., the unidentified man followed a 40-year-old woman into a residential building in the vicinity of Bolton Street and Lydig Avenue. He then followed the victim into an elevator and proceeded to rape her at knifepoint inside of elevator, and forcibly removed $112 dollars. The victim was transported to Jacobi Medical Center.
Police officials said on May 30, “Pursuant to an ongoing investigation, the following individual has been arrested and charged on Thursday, May 12, 2022 at 2.11 hours [a.m.], within the confines of the 49 Precinct: Ramon Rotestan, 46-year-old male, 3560 Webster Avenue, Apt#10F, Bronx, NY”
Rotestan was charged with rape and sexually motivated robbery.
Year-to-date rape incidents (131) in The Bronx are up 10.1 percent compared to the same timeframe last year (119). In the 49th precinct, where this incident was reported, and which covers Allerton, Morris Park, Van Nest, Pelham Parkway, Eastchester Gardens, and Pelham Gardens, year-to-date rape incidents (4) were down 50th percent compared to the same timeframe last year (8).
Meanwhile, in the 50th precinct, which covers Kingsbridge, Marble Hill, Spuyten Duyvil, Riverdale and Fieldston, year-to-date rape incidents (11) are up 120 percent compared to the same timeframe last year (5).
On May 21, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark confirmed that Rotestan was indicted for raping the 40-year-old woman and robbing her in her building elevator.
In the context of the announcement, Clark said, “The defendant allegedly brutally attacked a woman at knifepoint, stealing her money, and then raping her. The defendant was on parole for rape and robbery when he committed this crime. We will do everything in our power to keep women in the Bronx safe.”
Clark said the defendant, Ramon Rotestan, 46, of 3560 Webster Avenue on the border of Norwood and Olinville in The Bronx, was arraigned on charges of predatory sexual assault, first-degree rape, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, first-degree sexual abuse, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. Rotestan was remanded and is due back in court on August 16.
She said that according to the investigation, on May 9, 2022, the defendant allegedly followed the 40-year-old woman into her apartment building in the Pelham Parkway section and then into the elevator. Once inside, the defendant took out a knife and demanded the victim hand over all her money which was $112. He then allegedly patted her down and raped her in the elevator. A neighbor made noise in the hallway outside the elevator which startled the defendant leading him to run off. She said the entire attack was recorded on a security camera.
Photo courtesy of the NYPD
Officials from the Bronx DA’s office said the defendant is a registered sex offender and had been released from state prison on parole 39 days prior to the Pelham Parkway attack for convictions of first-degree rape, sexual abuse and robbery.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tiffany Wichman of the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Chief Johanna Hernandez of the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau, Mimi Mairs, chief of the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau, and under the overall supervision of Adrienne Giunta, deputy chief of the Special Victims Division, and Joseph Muroff, chief of the Special Victims Division.
Clark thanked Detective Shaniqua Clark and Detective Ernesto Castillo of the NYPD Bronx Special Victims Squad, and Detective Michael Gersch, and Officer Mark Polak of the 49th Precinct.
A person arrested and charged with a crime is deemed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.
All calls are strictly confidential.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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