A 40-year-old Westchester man has been indicted for allegedly raping or sexual assaulting four women, three of whom were online escorts, after choking or threatening them with a knife.
Silvio Raul Illescas, of Elmsford, was arrested March 4, hours after the most recent attack.
Detectives connected his DNA to previously unsolved cases dating back to 2011 and charged Illescas with attempted murder, multiple counts of predatory sexual assault and rape, strangulation and unlawful imprisonment, among other felonies.
Prosecutors say the attacks escalated in violence after the first one in August 2011. In that case, authorities say Illescas allegedly approached a woman walking home from work at night in Greenburgh and asked her for directions.
He then allegedly grabbed her purse and threatened to kill her if she didn't get into his car. She got into the vehicle, and Illescas allegedly drove her to a secluded area near a Home Depot store in Yonkers, where he choked and sexually assaulted her.
A year and a half went by before the second attack, prosecutors say. The suspect is accused of attacking three more women, all escorts he met through the online service backpage.com, between February and March of this year.
Prosecutors say Illescas allegedly responded to an escort ad posted on backpage.com on Feb.13 and arranged to meet the victim in a hotel room at the Westchester Marriott in Greenburgh. That night, the suspect allegedly attacked the victim after she refused to have sex with him without a condom. He allegedly punched her in the head and pressed a knife to her neck, telling her that he would kill her if she did not do as he asked.
The victim fought back and the suspect choked her, leaving serious bruise marks to the side of her neck, prosecutors said. He then allegedly threatened her with a gun and raped her.
Before leaving the hotel, Illescas allegedly stole three cell phones belonging to the victim.
Ten days later, Illescas set up a date with another backpage.com escort using one of the phones he had stolen from the victim he met at the Marriott, prosecutors said. He met her in a hotel room in Tarrytown later that night and allegedly threatened to cut her with a kitchen knife if she wouldn't have sex with him without a condom. When she said no, he allegedly began to stab her with the knife and then sexually assault her.
The victim managed to escape her attacker at one point, leaping off the bed and bolting toward the hotel room door. When she tried to open it, prosecutors say Illescas allegedly came up behind her and stabbed her in the neck. He then ran off, leaving the knife behind.
Prosecutors say Illescas struck again eight days later -- on March 3. Authorities say he used another of the three phones he had allegedly stolen from the woman attacked 18 days earlier to set up a date with a third escort who advertised on backpage.com. They met at the La Quinta Hotel later that night and, once again, Illescas allegedly demanded sex without a condom.
When the victim refused, Illescas allegedly threatened her with a knife and raped her.
He was arrested the following day after police traced him through phone records and DNA and held without bail. Illescas was arraigned Tuesday on a 28-count indictment and is due back in court April 23.
Information on an attorney wasn't immediately available.
Silvio Raul Illescas, of Elmsford, was arrested March 4, hours after the most recent attack.
Detectives connected his DNA to previously unsolved cases dating back to 2011 and charged Illescas with attempted murder, multiple counts of predatory sexual assault and rape, strangulation and unlawful imprisonment, among other felonies.
Prosecutors say the attacks escalated in violence after the first one in August 2011. In that case, authorities say Illescas allegedly approached a woman walking home from work at night in Greenburgh and asked her for directions.
He then allegedly grabbed her purse and threatened to kill her if she didn't get into his car. She got into the vehicle, and Illescas allegedly drove her to a secluded area near a Home Depot store in Yonkers, where he choked and sexually assaulted her.
A year and a half went by before the second attack, prosecutors say. The suspect is accused of attacking three more women, all escorts he met through the online service backpage.com, between February and March of this year.
Prosecutors say Illescas allegedly responded to an escort ad posted on backpage.com on Feb.13 and arranged to meet the victim in a hotel room at the Westchester Marriott in Greenburgh. That night, the suspect allegedly attacked the victim after she refused to have sex with him without a condom. He allegedly punched her in the head and pressed a knife to her neck, telling her that he would kill her if she did not do as he asked.
The victim fought back and the suspect choked her, leaving serious bruise marks to the side of her neck, prosecutors said. He then allegedly threatened her with a gun and raped her.
Before leaving the hotel, Illescas allegedly stole three cell phones belonging to the victim.
Ten days later, Illescas set up a date with another backpage.com escort using one of the phones he had stolen from the victim he met at the Marriott, prosecutors said. He met her in a hotel room in Tarrytown later that night and allegedly threatened to cut her with a kitchen knife if she wouldn't have sex with him without a condom. When she said no, he allegedly began to stab her with the knife and then sexually assault her.
The victim managed to escape her attacker at one point, leaping off the bed and bolting toward the hotel room door. When she tried to open it, prosecutors say Illescas allegedly came up behind her and stabbed her in the neck. He then ran off, leaving the knife behind.
Prosecutors say Illescas struck again eight days later -- on March 3. Authorities say he used another of the three phones he had allegedly stolen from the woman attacked 18 days earlier to set up a date with a third escort who advertised on backpage.com. They met at the La Quinta Hotel later that night and, once again, Illescas allegedly demanded sex without a condom.
When the victim refused, Illescas allegedly threatened her with a knife and raped her.
He was arrested the following day after police traced him through phone records and DNA and held without bail. Illescas was arraigned Tuesday on a 28-count indictment and is due back in court April 23.
Information on an attorney wasn't immediately available.
