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Staten Island Man Charged in September Sex Attack Spree, Prosecutors Say He Attacked a Half-Dozen Woman

A Staten Island man has been indicted by a grand jury on a string of charges, including attempted rape, sexual abuse and strangulation, in a series of brutal sex attacks on six women near or at bus stops in August and September.

Authorities say 27-year-old Taylor Hawkins went on a four-hour long spree targeting women at bus stops in the early morning hours of Sept. 19. They say the series of attacks came after he targeted another woman on Aug. 21.

Some of the women were groped, others were choked and several were forced to perform sex acts, according to a 36-count indictment filed in court Tuesday. Hawkins also allegedly tried to steal the belongings of at least one of the women.

At least one of the victims was under the age of thirteen, according to the complaint. 

Hawkins faces charges of attempted rape, criminal sexual act, sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, forcible touching, endangering the welfare of a child, assault, strangulation, criminal obstruction of breathing, attempted grand larceny, and attempted robbery, among other crimes.

Hawkins was arraigned Tuesday. His bail was set at $750,000.

He was arrested last month after officers found him inside a vehicle connected to the scenes of the attacks, law enforcement sources told NBC 4.

"I'm so happy, I'm ecstatic," said Jeffrey Wiesemann-Irizarry, a resident in the New Brighton neighborhood where the suspect was caught. "I hope they put this guy away for a long time."

In August, law enforcement sources described some of the disturbing crimes Hawkins is accused of committing.

He allegedly groped a 50-year-old woman walking her dogs in Tompkinsville on the morning of Sept. 19, according to police, before attacking two other victims -- ages 64 and 14 -- while they were at bus stops in the same neighborhood.

Law enforcement sources told News 4 the suspect told two of the women, "I'm going to rape you."

Authorities said the first woman attacked was walking her dog about 5:45 a.m. when the man grabbed her around the neck, dragged her to the ground and stuck his hands down her pants. When the woman screamed, authorities said the man ran away.

Then, at 6:20 a.m., the man approached the 64-year-old as she stepped off an MTA bus at Henderson and Westbury avenues. Police said the man slapped the woman in the face and fled.

Eight minutes later, police said the attacker wrestled a 42-year-old woman to the ground as she waited for a bus at Castleton Avenue and Hunter Place. He again stuck his hand down the woman's pants, but he also punched her in the face when she screamed or help. The man again ran off, police said.

Finally, at 6:45 a.m., the man approached a 14-year-old girl as she waited at a bus stop at Castleton and Havenwood avenues. Police said he tackled her to the ground as well and this time tried to force her to perform a criminal sex act.

Police said the girl bit the man, stopping the attack and prompting the suspect to hop in an SUV and drive away.

The girl ran for help at a nearby deli.

"She came here crying and screaming, and my co-worker did everything he could," said a worker at the deli. "He calmed her down, he gave her a bottle of water."

Both women and the girl were taken to the hospital with minor injuries ranging from swollen faces to a cut to the mouth.

Details on the robbery earlier on Sept. 19 or the Aug. 21 attack weren't immediately available.

Attorney information for Hawkins wasn't immediately available. His mother and brother told News 4 last month that they were also briefly detained when Hawkins was taken into custody, but did not comment on whether he had anything to do with the crimes.

Hawkins' former basketball coach, Peter Arroyo, said he was surprised to see police at his front door when he woke up. He described his former player as "very well mannered."

"But people do strange things," he said. "I can't figure it out."

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