UES Suspect Caught But Prosecutors Now Say Crime Was Assault, Not Attempted Rape
On July 12, a woman was attacked in Yorkville. Her assailant fled on a motor scooter. A day later a suspect was arrested the UES. Soon, he was free without bail and the charge, first reported to be attempted rape, is now classified as a domestic violence assault.
It was a frightening story from a normally placid Upper East Side block: the attempted rape of a woman outside the New York Sports Club location at 349 East 76th Street, between 2nd and 1st Avenues, in Yorkville.
The incident occurred on Friday night July 12, at approximately 11:45 p.m., when police responded to a 911 call of an assault in progress.
When the cops arrived, they were told that an unidentified male attempted to rape a 27-year-old female outside 349 East 76th Street, a four-story building on the north side of the block.
Though details about the attack have not been made public, police sources say the female was able to fight off her assailant, who fled west towards 3rd Avenue on a two-wheel motor scooter. Whether this means a stand-up electric vehicle or a sit-down, delivery-type vehicle is unclear.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the female victim, who suffered cuts to her head, was aided by at least one Good Samaritan bystander. Afterwards, EMS transported her to New York-Presbyterian / Weill-Cornell Medical Center in stable conditions.
With few further details available, no photos, and a perpetrator escaped into the barely regulated scooter underworld where few good things happen, this story was begun with a sense of sorrow—and anxiety over the fact the the perpetrator of a crime that might have been much worse was still out there.
While the crime is still despicable— and hope for the victim’s full recovery is still ardent—what a shock it was a shock to learn on Monday afternoon July 15 that the woman’s attacker already had been caught—on Saturday afternoon!
At 1:40 p.m. on July 13, police arrested Brian Mendieta, 26-year-old male, of 49-14 94th Street in the Elmhurst section of Queens, within the confines of the 19th Precinct—the same precinct, located at 153 East 67th Street, where the crime occurred.
One could speculate what a scooter driver from Queens was doing on the Upper East Side two days in a row, and how he was apprehended so quickly, but it would be wiser to wait for details of Mendieta’s arraignment... which, as it turned out, happened the following day, Sunday July 14.
Here, Mendieta was charged with two counts of assault, first for punching his girlfriend multiple times, second for punching the 40-year-old Good Samaritan male who intervened to protect her.
What is the cost of such violence? For the accused, not much.
According to Pix 11 News, Mendieta pled not guilty to both charges and while the court did issue a temporary restraining order against him, he was released without bail.
Sleep tight, Upper East Side.