OAN’s James Meyers
3:58 PM – Tuesday, June 18, 2024
An Ecuadorian migrant who crossed into the U.S. illegally is now in custody for the rape of a 13-year-old girl whom he sexually assaulted in a secluded area of a park in Queens.
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The efforts to capture him were greatly expedited thanks to a slew of tips from local residents, which included a few “good samaritans” who subdued the suspect on Tuesday morning.
“We had tips coming in actually naming the perpetrator, so they knew who he was,” said Joseph Kenny, the NYPD’s chief of detectives, during a news conference.
Christian Geovanny Inga-Landi, 25, was the name that informers told police in the five days after a 13-year-old girl and 13-year-old boy were held at knifepoint with a “machete-style” blade in a broad-daylight attack at Kissena Park.
Kenny noted that the suspect now faces multiple charges, including rape, kidnapping, possession of a weapon, and sexual abuse.
The capture of the illegal immigrant comes after the NYPD released a plethora of images and footage of him after the search began on Monday night. A sketch was also released of the suspect which included his unique tattoo of a boar. However, the information regarding his tattoo is unclear, as other sources have claimed that it actually depicts a bull.
Queens residents responded to the call for help by giving Inga-Landi’s name, his discovered Facebook account, and pictures that matched his tattoo, as well as the clothing he wore during the sexual assault, Kenny said.
“One of the tips we actually received was from a landlord who stated [that] the male had come to his building about two weeks previous trying to rent the room,” he said.
“Inga-Landi has no prior arrests in New York City and one out-of-state arrest for entering the United States illegally through Eagle Pass, Texas in June 2021,” according to ABC 7 News.
After being released from custody, Inga-Landi reportedly traveled to Queens, where police issued him three summonses and later encountered him in a domestic violence situation after they were called by neighbors. However, he somehow managed to escape arrest in NYC at the time.
Authorities were informed that after the suspect flashed his machete-style knife, he then led the two teens to a secluded area and tied their wrists together with shoelaces before he sexually assaulted the girl. He then reportedly stole both victims’ cell phones and told them to stay put for 20 minutes while he fled, according to police.
After he left, the teens quickly ran to their nearby school, where they alerted staff of what took place. The school called 9-1-1 in response.
The attack prompted a massive manhunt in the area, and a larger-than-usual police presence in the park was made apparent for multiple days. Local residents also made an effort to get involved and find the perpetrator as well by posting fliers of the police sketch with the description of his tattoo.
“The flood of tips included a 911 call Tuesday about 1 a.m. from community members saying they found the suspect – Inga-Landi – at 108th Street and Waldon Street, Kenny said,” New York Post reported.
“Here we found the community was holding our perp,” Kenny said. “He fought with them but the community still managed to hold on to him until we got there.”
According to Kenny, Inga-Landi was treated for minor injuries at Elmhurst Hospital before he was taken back to a Queens precinct, where special victims unit investigators were processing him, Kenny said.
“The perpetrator has made statements after waiving Miranda Rights, where he indicated he has a drug problem, that he found the knife he used to threaten the two teens, that this was the first time he’d ever done anything like this,” Kenny said. “He IDs himself in video that was shown to him.”
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