Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr. disclosed the indictment of Agustin Diaz, 53, for a series of sexual assaults targeting recent Spanish-speaking female immigrants under the guise of providing job opportunities, according to a statement from the District Attorney's Office. The charges against Diaz, as stated in the New York State Supreme Court indictment, include first-degree Rape, Sex Abuse, and Stalking.
"He allegedly lured them to isolated locations with promises of work, only to sexually assault them in a pattern he repeated with at least four survivors," remarked District Attorney Bragg, according to statements made in court and documents; Diaz approached the victims on public transit, presenting himself as an employer in desperate search for cleaners and, once alone, perpetrated the assaults. Diaz is accused of raping a woman twice in an empty office space under the pretence of offering her a cleaning job at a dental office on May 10, 2018, and in later instances on Pearl Street, Diaz lured women to a basement storage room where they were instructed to pack bags with candy, and snacks before assaults took place.
The investigation, which is ongoing, has revealed a pattern where Diaz would use physical intimidation and the threat of deportation to silence his victims. Victim services are being provided by the Survivor Services Bureau Advocates and counselors, emphasizing the importance of support for the survivors of such heinous acts. Assistant D.A.s Candace White and Julia Hooks are leading the prosecution under the supervision of higher-ranking officials in the IPSV Bureau and Special Victims Division, their investigation bolstered by Analysis from Investigative Analyst Rory Fleming and the dedicated Investigations Bureau.
Survivors of these assaults or individuals with relevant information are being urged to contact authorities; the D.A.'s office has opened a hotline for this purpose, at 212-335-9793, in hopes that others who have faced similar experiences at the hands of Diaz will come forward, enabling a fuller understanding of the scope of his alleged predation.
