13-year-old boy raped in the Bronx, police say
NEW YORK - A 13-year-old boy is recovering after being raped in the Bronx, police said.
It happened at the Justice Sonia Sotomayor Houses on Bruckner Boulevard in the Soundview section.
Police say the boy was attacked at around 11 p.m. Wednesday night while throwing out the trash. A man pulled him into the stairwell, held his hand over his mouth, and raped him, according to authorities.
The suspect is described as a Black man, about 5'10", 30-40 years old, with dark skin, a beard and bald, and was wearing black jeans and a grey tank top, police said.
He ran off with the victim's phone. The victim told police the suspect dropped an item at the scene, and police collected that as evidence.
"Anybody can come in here"
Residents said security in the building is lax, and the doors are unlocked.
"To me that's shocking. I mean, it's crazy," one resident said. "Anybody can come in here. They need more security here."
Evey floor has a trash chute, but they're currently locked, they say, so the victim would've had to take the trash outside.
"These buildings should have cameras already. I don't know why they don't," said another. "If we could get some cameras in here, that would help tremendously."
"Resident safety is a priority for NYCHA. We are investigating and addressing these concerns," a NYCHA spokesperson said.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
