A Bronx man was indicted last week on rape charges for the terrifying attack of a 35-year-old woman in Mott Haven during the early hours of Aug. 5, 2024, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s office.
Papa Diop, 38, of East 221st Street, has been charged with first degree rape and other charges for allegedly pouncing on the woman near the corner of 149th Street and Bergen Avenue after pretending to ask for directions.
Instead, he allegedly dragged the woman into a nearby park and viciously raped her, police said. The attack was caught on chilling surveillance footage, showing Diop threatening the victim by pressing his arm against her throat and warning her not to scream.
After the assault, Diop fled the scene. The victim, meanwhile, immediately called the cops before being rushed by EMS to hospital for treatment.
The NYPD then circulated a wanted poster with Diop’s face pulled straight from the surveillance footage. Five days later, he was busted at a Grand Concourse subway station after a police officer recognized him from the flyer.
Diop now faces charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse, and third-degree rape. Bail has been set at $250,000 cash or $750,000 bond.
He was arraigned in Bronx Supreme Court last week and will return to court on Nov. 12, 2024.
