A Queens man is facing serious charges after an incident in Jamaica that occurred last Friday. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz has announced the arraignment of Rody Morales Cu, 20, on allegations of rape and sexual abuse. According to the Queens District Attorney's Office, early last Friday morning, Cu is accused of attacking a 50-year-old woman on the street and raping her. If convicted, Morales Cu could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.
The complaint states that at around 3 a.m. near the intersection of 162nd Street and 89th Avenue, Morales Cu allegedly threatened the woman with a sharp object, demanding her silence. The victim managed to call a relative during this harrowing encounter, but the defendant is said to have taken her cellphone and proceeded to push the woman to the ground and rape her. This assault was interrupted when the victim's relative arrived, causing Morales Cu to flee the scene. He was apprehended by authorities at his home on 165th Street following an NYPD investigation. Detective George Allen of the Queens Special Victims Squad led the probe.
Queens Criminal Court Judge Glenda Hernandez remanded Morales Cu a day after his arrest and scheduled a follow-up court appearance for the following day. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sean Jaime of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, with oversight from Assistant District Attorney Eric C. Rosenbaum and Executive Assistant District Attorney of Special Prosecutions Joyce Smith.
In her statement regarding the case, District Attorney Katz said, “Rody Morales Cu is accused of accosting a stranger on a Jamaica street in the early morning hours of April 11 and then raping her. The brave survivor called a relative, who quickly came to the scene and scared the defendant away. I thank our partners at the NYPD for quickly apprehending the suspect and the survivor for coming forward,” as noted by the Queens District Attorney's Office.
