Suspect arrested in Central Park rape
Omar Hoist, 32, was arrested on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013, inside Metropolitan Hospital Center in Manhattan in connection with a rape in Central Park. He was charged with first-degree rape, strangulation and assault, the NYPD said. Credit: NYPD
Police arrested a man Tuesday and charged him with the Sunday rape of a woman in Central Park.
Omar Hoist, 32, who police had named as a person of interest in the rape earlier, was arrested inside Metropolitan Hospital Center in Manhattan and charged with first-degree rape, strangulation and assault, the NYPD said early Wednesday morning.
Hoist is homeless, police said.
An NYPD spokesman said he was unsure whether Hoist was being treated at the hospital when he was arrested.
Police said the rape occurred early Sunday. According to police, Hoist approached the victim at East 88th Street and Fifth Avenue about 3 a.m. and the two began talking.
They entered the park at East 100th Street, walked along the bike path and sat on a bench together, police said. Police say Hoist then became violent, took the victim to a grassy area and raped her.
The victim was able to run away and went to Mount Sinai Hospital, police said. The suspect fled in the opposite direction.
A surveillance video showed the suspect walking with the victim before the attack -- and an image of the suspect after the attack. This helped identify Hoist as the person of interest in the case.
The victim told police the suspect said his name was Omar, the NYPD said.
With amNewYork and AP