Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz has charged a Manhattan man with attempted rape, sexual abuse, and forcible touching after an incident near an Elmhurst subway station, officials said. The accused, Drew Musa, faces serious allegations which include sexually assaulting a woman who had left the Woodhaven Boulevard subway station during the early hours of June 27. After evading arrest in Queens, Musa was apprehended in Manhattan where, as reported by Queens District Attorney's Office, he subsequently broke into an apartment and assaulted another individual.
According to the details shared by Queens District Attorney's Office, Musa allegedly approached the 26-year-old victim from behind and slapped her buttocks before briefly walking away. As the victim waited for her bus, finding no respite, she was ambushed again by Musa who pushed her into a fence, attempted to disrobe her and exposed himself with the intention to commit rape.
The woman managed to fend off her attacker and immediately alerted authorities. Musa, purportedly identified by the victim, fled into the subway where police officers could not locate him at the time. Two days later, while in Manhattan, the assailant reportedly forced himself into an apartment, resulting in what was another sexual assault. Musa, 31, was finally detained following this subsequent incident.
During the arraignment, Queens Supreme Court Justice Gia L. Morris set a follow-up court date for August 14, and if convicted, Musa could be looking at up to 15 years of incarceration. In a statement obtained by the Queens District Attorney's Office, Katz emphasized citywide safety, "We live in a city that never sleeps and our streets must remain safe for all New Yorkers at all times. As alleged, this defendant forcibly touched a stranger and then tried to rape her on a public street during pre-dawn hours." The prosecutor in the case, Assistant District Attorney Leighanne Daly, who operates under the Special Victims Bureau, is handling the proceedings with her team.
