Leon Howell, a 43-year-old Brooklyn man, was taken into custody yesterday following reports that he posed as an ICE agent before launching a violent attack on a local woman. According to ABC7 New York, the 51-year-old Hispanic woman was assaulted around 11 a.m. Tuesday near Montague Street and Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights as she was waiting for a cab.

Just having been released on parole last month, Howell was charged with multiple offenses, including first-degree rape and first-degree robbery, as noted by a New York Post report. After allegedly dragging the woman into an elevator and down into the basement of a building, he punched the victim in the face, knocking her to the floor, before attempting to sexually assault her.

The suspect claimed he was an ICE agent to the woman, directing her to a stairwell where the assault began. Howell reportedly made off with the victim's personal belongings, including a chain, cellphone, and purse. Interestingly, it was her stolen iPhone that lead to Howell's capture, when police used the "Find My iPhone" app to locate him.

In what was described as a brutal attack, Howell not only beat and attempted to rape the woman, but robbed her as well. "The vicious attacker grabbed the woman's chain, cell phone and purse before fleeing on Montague Street toward Henry Street," as the New York Post detailed. The survivor was subsequently treated at a local hospital for cuts to her face, scratches and bruises, and was listed in a stable condition.

Howell's criminal background includes approximately 20 previous arrests, with convictions for serious offenses such as strangulation of another victim in 2017. He served nearly seven years in state prison before his recent parole. The authorities believe the woman may have been targeted because of her ethnicity or race, as implied by the investigation.