Police have arrested a man who allegedly grabbed an 11-year-old girl who was walking to a grocery store in Queens by the throat, ripped her mask off before making threatening sexual statements and dragging her into an alley.
The NYPD identified the man as 34-year-old Jonathan Perez of Queens. He was taken into custody late Thursday and charged with robbery, assault kidnapping, acting in a manner injurious to a child and menacing.
The girl was walking near 86th Street and Northern Boulevard around 8:45 a.m. Sunday when Perez is accused of approaching her from behind. He first pulled off her mask, then dragged her into an alleyway, where he allegedly held her down on the ground and pressed a sharp metal object against her throat, according to the NYPD.
At the same time, he was making threatening sexual statements and demanding to know her age, according to police. Ultimately, the attacker stole the girl's house keys, $20 and a reusable grocery bag before running off.
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The girl was taken to a hospital for treatment of a laceration to her throat.
Police say Perez had previously been arrested and charged twice, last month for robbery and in 2018 for a prostitution-related charge, before Sunday's horrifying attack.
It's unclear if Perez has a representative who can speak on his behalf on the charges.
