The suspect in a shockingly violent Bronx sexual assault was whisked away in cuffs Saturday to face justice.
According to police sources, 39-year-old Kashaan Parks from the Belmont section of the Bronx was taken into custody on May 11 after detectives unveiled they had identified him the day prior and promised a swift arrest. He was apparently hiding out in another Bronx apartment when he was picked up by the Warrant Squad.
Parks rose to internet infamy over the course of the week after leaked surveillance video that apparently first popped up on WhatsApp before making the rounds online allegedly showed Parks sling a belt over the neck of a 45-year-old woman on May 1 before dragging along 152nd Street and 3rd Avenue. Pulling her between two parked cars, police said, the suspect then raped his victim.
However, according to NYPD Chief of detectives Joseph Kenny, the victim did not apparently report the heinous crime. Still, cops say once they learned of the despicable offense, they swiftly launched an investigation.
The victim cooperated with police and helped finger her attacker through his apparent distinctive teeth.
“Our victim indicated that she had seen him before; she actually described his teeth to us; he had unusual teeth,” Chief Kenny explained. “She said he has space between his teeth.”
Police believe Parks flew into a rage following a conversation that involved possible payment for a sexual encounter that never came.
News of the brutal rape churned the stomachs of thousands of New Yorkers, including elected officials who praised the apprehension.
“All violent attacks are traumatic, even then, some are especially stunning. The video of this attack was horrifying to watch. I join the rest of the city happy an arrest was made swiftly,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams wrote on X.
Parks has been previously arrested five times, with one notable arrest for domestic assault in 2018; another arrest came in 2013 for jumping the turnstile.
He was escorted out of the Bronx special victims unit on Saturday afternoon with his hands cuffed behind his Tyvek-suitted back. He did not answer for his alleged crimes.
Kashaan Parks is charged with first-degree rape, second-degree assault, second-degree strangulation, first-degree sex abuse, first-degree public lewdness, and first-degree harassment.
Read more: Learn how NYC fire hydrants transform into sprinklers.
