A Manhattan nail salon worker faced an ordeal when a man attempted to sexually assault her while she was on duty. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has announced the indictment of 35-year-old Joseph Wichard, who now faces charges of Attempted Rape in the First Degree and Sexual Abuse in the First Degree. District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., declared the alleged actions "absolutely abhorrent" and extended his hope for the survivor's recovery, both physically and emotionally. In a statement obtained by the Manhattanda D.A.'s office, Bragg also encouraged other survivors of assault to reach out for support.
The indictment stems from an incident on September 1, where Wichard is alleged to have forced his way into the salon around 6:00 p.m., attacking the 34-year-old woman who was working there alone. Court documents reveal Wichard supposedly tried to aggressively kiss her and drag her to the back of the salon. Even as she attempted to escape, he caught up, throwing her down and removing her clothes to perpetrate the assault. The woman was able to defend herself, biting Wichard and managing to use a vacuum cleaner to hit him, prompting him to flee.
Following the attack, the survivor contacted the nail salon owner who quickly alerted the police. Wichard was apprehended several days later. Assistant D.A. Jeremy Hutton is prosecuting the case, with oversight from colleagues in the Special Victims Division and support from the Survivor Services Bureau. D.A. Bragg expressed gratitude to the NYPD and Detectives Andre Arias and Steven Clarke of the Manhattan Special Victims Squad for their efforts in the investigation.
Victim Services Advocate Katie Serrano is providing support to the survivor, in line with the DA’s office standard procedures for assisting individuals affected by such cases. The prosecution team, including Trial Preparation Analysts Kyle McMahan, Robert Rose, and Catalina Rojas, is preparing for the upcoming trial.
