Queens man pleads guilty to rape, attempted murder in 2023 rooftop assault

QUEENS, N.Y. — A Jamaica man pleaded guilty Friday to charges of rape, attempted murder, and patronizing prostitution in connection with a violent daytime assault on a woman in August 2023, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced.

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Jerson Vasquez, 25, of 170th Street, admitted to luring the victim to a rooftop in Jamaica, where he attacked her after responding to a Facebook Marketplace prostitution advertisement. “This was a brazen and brutal daytime attack,” District Attorney Katz said. “Thanks to her brave testimony, we were able to charge this defendant with rape and attempted murder.”

According to court records, on August 13, 2023, Vasquez met the victim at a building on 93rd Avenue, gave her $150, and initiated intercourse. He then began choking her, slammed her head into a concrete wall, and retrieved the money. Vasquez continued the assault by punching the victim, slamming her head into the floor, and strangling her.

Surveillance footage showed Vasquez leaving the scene with what appeared to be blood on his hands and neck. The victim was later found with severe injuries, including a laceration to the back of her head requiring staples, as well as extensive swelling to her face, head, and neck.

Vasquez is set to be sentenced on February 25, where he faces 15 years in prison followed by 10 years of post-release supervision.

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