QUEENS, NY — A Manhattan man has been indicted for attempted rape, sexual abuse, and forcible touching after allegedly attacking a woman outside a Queens subway station last month, the Queens District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
Drew Musa, 31, of West 145th Street in Manhattan, was arraigned on the indictment and is due back in court on August 14. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
According to prosecutors, on June 27 around 4:30 a.m., a 26-year-old woman exited the Woodhaven Boulevard subway station in Elmhurst when Musa followed her, slapped her buttocks, and walked away. Minutes later, while she waited at a nearby bus stop, Musa allegedly returned, shoved her into a fence, attempted to pull off her dress, and pulled down his pants in an attempt to rape her. The victim resisted and Musa fled the scene.
The woman called 911 and identified Musa to responding officers, but he escaped into the subway system.
Two days later, on June 29, Musa was arrested in Manhattan after allegedly breaking into an apartment and sexually assaulting a female occupant.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz stated, “We live in a city that never sleeps and our streets must remain safe for all New Yorkers at all times.”