Brooklyn, NY – The New York City Police Department is continuing to ask for assistance from the public in apprehending Asa Roberts, an 18-year-old suspect wanted in connection with the assault and rape of an 82-year-old Jewish woman on Monday, July 13 at about 1:40 AM.
According to the NYPD, the unidentified victim was outside sweeping her property at her Brighton Beach home when Roberts gained entry into her home and hid inside her bedroom. When the victim entered her bedroom, the suspect surprised and assaulted her, demanding money at knifepoint.
When the victim did not comply because she had no money to give, Roberts remained inside the victim’s home for a period of several hours.
At approximately 4:00 AM, Roberts forcibly raped the victim before fleeing her home and stealing an umbrella and a bag of clothes belonging to the woman’s deceased husband. The victim was taken to Kings County Hospital for treatment.
In an interview with the Daily News, an unnamed relative of the victim recounted that Roberts forced the victim to swear on a Jewish bible that she should would not call police on him, otherwise he would kill her.
The relative said the rapist mocked the religious 82-year-old woman, who is bruised from head to toe, and “he took advantage of the fact that she was religious. . .making fun of her.
She even asked me afterward if she had broken her pledge, and I said, ‘No, you didn’t call the police. I called the police,’” the relative said.
The victim was so fearful that she first called a family member instead of the police when Roberts finally left at about 6:30 am the next day.
The relative added that the victim “is not doing good. She has not slept since this happened, and is very traumatized.”
Roberts is described as black, 5’9” tall, 160 pounds, with an Afro and a light beard. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt with some kind of writing on it, grey sweat pants, and Converse sneakers with white laces. He has an outstanding bench warrant for a robbery arrest, and is wanted in connection with an assault on an NYPD transit officer.
Anyone with information in regards to the whereabouts of this suspect is asked to call Crime stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
