Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., has officially announced the indictment against 37-year-old Anthony Smith, in a violent Midtown assault case. Smith stands accused of putting a woman into a chokehold until she lost consciousness and then sexually assaulting her on a sidewalk in August this year. According to a statement from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, Smith faces charges including two counts of Attempted Rape in the First Degree, Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, and Strangulation in the Second Degree which is further elevated due to the sexual nature of the felonies.
In a public statement, which the Manhattan District Attorney's Office issued, District Attorney Bragg expressed the gravity of the case: “As alleged, Anthony Smith brutally choked a woman until she lost consciousness before sexually assaulting her.” Bragg emphasized the commitment of his Special Victims Division to pursue justice in this case with focus on the survivor's needs. The incident occurred on August 10, around 3:30 a.m., authorities said, when Smith followed multiple women in Midtown West before his attack on West 47th Street near 8th Avenue.
Smith's arrest occurred on August 13, following an investigation led by members of the NYPD’s Warrants Squad who detained him in his apartment. Assistant D.A. Brianna DeMilia is leading the courtroom charge, with supervision by Assistant D.A. Kaitlyn Flatley — Deputy Chief of the Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Bureau — and Executive Assistant D.A. Justin McNabney of the Special Victims Division. Trial Preparation Assistant Allison Loving assists with the case as well. The NYPD, and particularly Detective Matthew Palmieri, received thanks for their efforts in the investigation.
The details of the indictment reveal unsettling behavior predating the assault. Court documents and on-record statements describe Smith lurking around Midtown for about an hour, pursuing women and engaging in inappropriate conduct before carrying out the assault. His apprehension by law enforcement arrived three days after the assaults that took place as the woman was walking toward the train station.
