Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg pledged on Wednesday to prosecute “to the fullest extent” the man who allegedly raped a corpse on a Manhattan subway train last month.
Felix Rojas, 44, appeared before a judge on May 14 to face a Supreme Court arraignment for the infamous sexual assault of a corpse aboard an R train on April 8 that shocked the city.
He stood solely in handcuffs, dressed in prison garb, and pleaded not guilty through a Spanish interpreter.
According to court documents, 37-year-old Jorge Gonzalez fell unconscious aboard the train car around 10:46 p.m. while smoking a cigarette. Mere minutes later, surveillance video shows Rojas boarding the train.
Video allegedly caught Rojas searching an unconscious and unresponsive Gonzalez in an attempt to steal his belongings, stopping when other passengers boarded before continuing when they disembarked.
But, law enforcement agents said that was only the beginning of the sick defilement.
“The defendant decided to take advantage of the situation and inserted his penis into the mouth of the victim,” Assistant District Attorney Alexander Bourdakos told a judge last month at Rojas’ initial arraignment. “To do so, the defendant mounted his legs on the bench where the victim was seated, so his waist was the same height at the victim’s mouth and grabbed the victim’s head with his hand.”
The gross act of necrophilia went on between stations; prosecutors said the suspect only stopped as the train pulled to a halt, then continued as the train moved on.
At 12:09 a.m. Rojas is accused of pulling Gonzalez’s body onto the floor of train, pulling down his pants and anally raping him. He then frisked the body one final time, even going as far as to move his shoes in order to make sure he did not miss any valuable items.
“Felix Rojas allegedly sexually assaulted a completely physically helpless man on the subway. This conduct is egregious, and we will prosecute this case to the fullest extent,” Bragg said. “While transit crime is down, I want New Yorkers to know that we are continuing to work with our law enforcement partners to make our bustling subway system safe.”
Medical officials believe Gonzalez died of natural causes with his estranged wife citing alcoholism as a contributing factor, according to the New York Daily News.
Rojas has been charged with attempted rape, attempted grand larceny, and sexual misconduct. His attorney refused to comment.
He remains held in jail without bail, and is next expected to be in court on Aug. 13.
