NEW YORK, NY – A Bronx Man was indicted Monday after it was learned that he had kidnapped a woman and assaulted her over a five-day period in an abandoned building in Kingsbridge.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that Timothy Harnett, AKA Lawless, 44, who is homeless, has been indicted for kidnapping a woman and raping the woman.
District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant allegedly held a 28-year-old woman captive for days, raping and beating her with a tire iron. The victim managed to escape with the help of a passerby. The defendant has been indicted on multiple charges for terrorizing this woman.”
“The defendant was remanded and is due back in court on August 9th.
According to the investigation, on April 29th, Harnett allegedly offered the victim, a 28-year-old woman, money in exchange for sex.
“He took her to 2667 Briggs Avenue where an abandoned three-story building damaged by a fire was located and took her upstairs,” Clark said. “When the victim turned her back to the defendant he allegedly hit her leg with a tire iron, causing her to fall to the floor. Harnett allegedly continued to beat her with the tire iron and punched her, leaving her with a fractured wrist and dislocated knee. “
Harnett then allegedly took off the victims’ clothes, tied her feet with a cloth and handcuffed her wrists.
“Between April 29, 2022 and May 2, 2022, Harnett allegedly held the victim captive and raped her multiple times a day. He also threatened to kill her if she tried to escape,” police said Monday. “On May 2, 2022, the defendant left the building to go to a nearby laundromat. While he was gone, the victim used the tire iron to break a window and used glass to cut the restraints on her feet.”
Clark said the victim waved down a passerby who called 911 and flagged down an NYPD patrol car. The victim was taken to the hospital for her injuries. It is believed the defendant may have had other victims. Anyone who may have been victimized, or anyone with information about a victim of this defendant should please call the Bronx District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit at 718-838-6535.