A man in Brooklyn was arraigned and indicted on charges of sexually assaulting a woman twice last month. Miguel James, 42, is also facing charges related to the rape of a 13-year-old girl in 2021. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said James was charged with first-degree criminal sexual act, first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree rape, forcible touching, and endangering the welfare of a child.
According to NBC New York, the suspect offered a 52-year-old woman a ride while she was walking home along St. Marks Avenue around 2 am last May 27. The woman refused his offer but he was not willing to give up so quickly. James pulled over and got out of his vehicle then pushed her to the ground and forced her to perform a sex act. After he was done with her, he got back into his car and drove away.
Just 15 minutes later, as the woman was nearing Howard Avenue, the suspect allegedly spotted her again and sexually assaulted her for the second time and left her on the road after stealing her cellphone. Based on documents presented by the DA, the victim approached a neighbor to inform them about the attack. The neighbor placed a call and alerted the police. The victim was brought over to Brookdale Hospital and was treated for her injuries which included a broken wrist.
During the investigation, detectives found out that James was an acquaintance of his victim’s friend. However, the woman said her attacker was no more than a stranger to her. Following an investigation launched by the police to locate his whereabouts, authorities were able to track and arrest him on June 1. Cops also discovered the suspect is also facing charges of raping a 13-year-old girl in his apartment in September 2021.
District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “This defendant is charged with three horrific and violent sexual offenses, including raping an innocent child and repeatedly sexually assaulting a stranger. We will vigorously prosecute this alleged serial sexual predator to keep the people of Brooklyn safe.”
James has been ordered to be held without bail and is set to return to court on August 10, 2022.
