Police have arrested Aldolfo Martinez, 26, of Sunset Park in connection with a sexual attack that police say is the thirteenth of a string of sexual assaults, including one rape, that has put the communities of Park Slope, Sunset Park, and Windsor Terrace on edge since March.
The arrest took place shortly after a tense meeting Tuesday night between police and a large group of neighborhood residents to hear updates about the investigation. Only three blocks from the meeting, at the Mariem Heim Center on 45th St. in Sunset Part, Martinez was arrested after cops recognized him from video surveillance footage.
According to police, Martinez is accused of groping an 18-year old woman after she exited the 36th subway station near Fourth Avenue Monday evening. He faces charges of third degree sexual abuse and forcible touching.
Police said they are questioning Martinez about the other other sexual attacks. The New York Times cited court records showing that Martinez, had previously been arrested for a groping in Manhattan in October of 2007.
Although Martinez’s arrest was a welcome development, police said they continue to search for multiple other suspects. “It’s hard to say [how many perpetrators] but it’s definitely more than one,” said 72nd precinct Deputy Inspector, Jesus R. Pintos. So far, police have released six suspect sketches in relation to these sexual assaults.
Despite a visible increase in police presence in the neighborhoods and deployment of numerous plain-clothes officers, there have been four new attacks in the past month. Pintos acknowledged the possibility that high profile media attention could be spurring copycats but he also suggested the increase in reported incidents may just be the result of a community on high alert.
“People are more inclined, and rightfully so, to report it. And I encourage that,” Pintos said.
Typically, more than 51 percent of all sexual assaults go unreported, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime.
Community groups in Brooklyn have pulled together in recent weeks to organize rallies, offer safety tips and provide free self-defense classes to women
A larger than usual crowd showed up at Tuesday’s precinct meeting where police were distributing stacks of new suspect sketches to the community. There were several heated complaints that not enough police are protecting the area though officers tried to reassure the crowd that there were many undercover police patrolling the streets.
A special unit of undercover Manhattan detectives has been deployed to assist the Brooklyn precincts in their ongoing investigations. Police also announced that the reward for information leading to the arrest of any of the suspects had been increased from $500 to $2,000.
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