Special victims detectives in the Bronx nabbed an alleged rapist hours after he violently attacked a woman on a street early Wednesday morning.
Gregory Williams, 21, who resided at the Men’s Employment Shelter on Westchester Avenue in Parkchester faces two counts of first-degree rape and other charges for the heinous attack on a 26-year-old woman near an apartment building at 1370 Virginia Ave., about a half-mile away from the shelter.
Law enforcement sources said the sexual assault occurred at about 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 11, when Williams allegedly approached the victim from behind and punched her multiple times on the right side of the body. Police sources said the victim did not know her attacker.
After delivering the body blows, authorities reported, the suspect proceeded to rape the victim. Moments later, the perpetrator fled the location on foot, and was last seen heading southbound along Virginia Avenue, then turning eastbound on McGraw Avenue.
The incident was reported to the 43rd Precinct. EMS rushed the woman to a local hospital, where she was listed in stable condition.
During their investigation, sources familiar with the case said, detectives obtained video near the crime scene which allegedly showed Williams fleeing from the Virginia Avenue site back to the shelter on Westchester Avenue.
Within hours, cops said, detectives located Williams and had him positively identified as the alleged rapist. The Bronx Special Victims Squad formally charged him at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon with first-degree rape, third-degree assault, third-degree sexual abuse and second-degree harassment.
Search continues for second rapist
Meanwhile, police in the Bronx are on the hunt for another rapist who attacked a woman inside an SUV on Thanksgiving Day in an unrelated attack.
The NYPD released on Wednesday night images and video of the suspect in the sexual assault that occurred at about 3 p.m. on Nov. 28 near a McDonald’s restaurant at 1982 Westchester Ave., also in Parkchester.
Police said the victim, a 24-year-old woman, encountered her attacker through an arranged meeting set up on a dating website. Things quickly turned violent inside the suspect’s vehicle, a red Honda CRV, inside of which the perpetrator forced himself upon the woman and raped her.
Authorities said the rapist fled the scene inside the Honda CRV in an unknown direction, leaving the victim at the scene. Police did not immediately have information about the woman’s physical condition following the attack.
The 43rd Precinct, which initially responded to the incident, presented the case to the Bronx Special Victims Squad, which is conducting the ongoing search for the attacker.
As shown in the video, the wore a gray hooded sweatshirt with a multicolored graphic on the front, along with gray sweatpants and white sneakers.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
