THE BRONX, N.Y. — A suspect is in police custody following the brutal attack and rape of a woman on a Bronx street. The incident, which occurred on May 1 near 152nd Street and Third Avenue, involved a 45-year-old woman being choked with a belt and then raped.
The suspect, identified as Kashaan Parks, 39, was named by police shortly after the attack. The nature of the charges against Parks has not yet been disclosed.
The assault was captured in a viral video, showing the suspect approaching the woman from behind, looping a belt around her neck, and pulling her until she passed out. The attacker, with his face covered by a white towel, then dragged the unconscious woman along the sidewalk and into the street between two parked cars before raping her.
Investigators suspect that the attack may have been linked to a possible prostitution deal, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. Parks and the victim were known to each other from the neighborhood, and the woman was able to identify Parks by a distinctive gap in his teeth.
Following the attack, the victim was arrested for petit larceny but did not report the rape. The investigation began when a Bronx police officer recognized the woman from the video, leading to Parks’ identification and subsequent custody.
