A suspect with a long rap sheet has been arrested for brutally raping a woman while he was posing as a federal immigration officer in New York City this week, according to reports.
The chilling incident unfolded just before 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning in Brooklyn.
A 51-year-old woman was reportedly waiting for a taxi in the lobby of an apartment building when she was accosted by a man claiming to be an agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The suspect then dragged the victim into an elevator and down to the basement of the building, where he proceeded to punch her in the face and remove her clothing.
The woman fought back and pleaded with the suspect to stop, and eventually he gave up, but not before grabbing her iPhone, jewelry, and purse.
Investigators tracked down 43-year-old Leon Howell and took him into custody on Thursday.
WANTED ATTEMPTED RAPE: 2/11/25 @NYPD84PCT in a lobby in the vicinity of Montague St & Henry St the victim was approached by an unk individual who forced her in a basement stairwell, assaulted her & attempted to rape her. The individual then forcibly removed her property & fled. pic.twitter.com/mnxbCWfD8E
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) February 12, 2025
Howell was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, third-degree burglary, and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, law enforcement sources told the New York Post.
He has been arrested at least 20 times before and was released on parole last month after serving time for strangling a woman in a Brooklyn bathroom in 2017.
The victim in Tuesday’s attack was treated for various injuries and listed in stable condition.