A 39-year-old man identified as Kashaan Parks has been charged with multiple crimes, including rape and strangulation, after a disturbing incident in the Bronx where he allegedly used a belt to choke and drag an unconscious woman before sexually assaulting her. The crime took place on May 1 near East 152nd Street and Third Avenue.
According to reports, Parks had been living with his wife and young daughter in North Carolina but recently moved back to New York. He has a history of public arrests, including for allegedly assaulting a woman in the Bronx and entering the back of an MTA bus without paying.
The victim, a 45-year-old woman, was followed by Parks and had a belt lassoed around her neck. She lost consciousness and was then dragged behind two parked cars where she was sexually assaulted. The man then fled on foot towards Melrose Avenue.
Police released surveillance images of the suspect and arrested him at a relative's home in the Bronx on Saturday, May 11.
The victim was taken to NYC Health Hospitals/Lincoln in stable condition. It is reported that she remembered the attacker due to his 'unusual teeth.'
Residents of Melrose expressed shock and concern over the incident, with some calling for increased safety measures in the area.
Parks has been charged with second-degree rape, second-degree assault, second-degree strangulation, sex abuse in the first-degree, first-degree public lewdness and harassment in the first-degree. He is currently being held by police.
