A 32-year-old Honduran man is back on Long Island to face charges after prosecutors say he raped and brutally beat a man behind a dumpster at an Amityville deli late last month. The case hinges in part on surveillance video that prosecutors say captured the attack, and the victim was discovered hours later with serious injuries. U.S. Marshals arrested the suspect in Texas as he tried to head toward the southern border, and he has since been extradited to Suffolk County for arraignment.
Prosecutors identified the defendant as Jose Ignacio Bonilla Garcia. He was arraigned Monday on two counts of first-degree rape and one count of second-degree assault, according to News 12 Long Island. The Suffolk County district attorney's office has described the case as heinous and says it intends to pursue it aggressively.
What Prosecutors Say Happened
Investigators say Bonilla Garcia first encountered the victim inside Esperanza Deli Café late on March 27. According to prosecutors, the violence unfolded in the early morning hours after the man suddenly collapsed from intoxication and was dragged behind a rear dumpster. They say the victim regained consciousness during the assault and was then beaten with a piece of wood until he was again unresponsive. The man was taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital for treatment and a sexual assault forensic exam, authorities said, according to Patch.
How Police Say They Caught Him
Suffolk detectives say the suspect bolted from New York on a Greyhound bus and was later tracked to Rosenberg, Texas, where U.S. Marshals took him into custody as he headed toward the southern border. He was then extradited back to Suffolk County. Local coverage of the district attorney's statement noted that the Fort Bend County district attorney and U.S. Marshals assisted in the capture, per reporting by WFMD.
Courtroom Scene And What Comes Next
Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen Wilutis ordered Bonilla Garcia held without bail. Prosecutors say he faces up to 25 years on the top charge and is due back in court on May 28, according to Patch. The Legal Aid Society is representing the defendant. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also lodged a detainer that seeks possible deportation once the criminal case is resolved.
A Note For The Neighborhood
Surveillance video is a central piece of evidence, and investigators are still asking anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be provided to the Suffolk County Police First Squad or to Crime Stoppers. The department's press pages list First Squad contact details and instructions for reporting information tied to ongoing investigations. For official contact information, see the Suffolk County Police press page linked there.
