Man who allegedly raped woman in NYC last year found hiding in Georgia

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Rony Lopez Alvarez, 38, has been indicted by a grand jury and arraigned in Queens Supreme Court for rape, kidnapping and other charges. The defendant allegedly forced a woman into an alley and attacked her in January 2020.

Lopez Alvarez, of Forest Park, Georgia, was arraigned late Friday before Queens Supreme Court before Justice Michael Aloise on an indictment charging him with rape in the first degree, criminal sexual act in the first degree, sexual abuse in the first degree, robbery in the third degree and kidnapping in the second degree. Justice Aloise ordered the defendant to return to Court on June 15, 2021. If convicted, Lopez Alvarez faces up to 25 years in prison.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said, “For more than a year, the investigation into this brutal attack continued and intensified in an effort to find justice for the victim. The defendant may have thought he’d found refuge in another state, but he has been brought back to our jurisdiction and now faces serious charges.”

According to the charges, on January 18, 2020, at approximately 4 a.m. on Jamaica Avenue, Lopez Alvarez allegedly grabbed the victim, put his hand over her mouth, wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed a sharp object against her. As alleged, he then forced her into an alley between two commercial businesses and threatened to “snap her neck” if she screamed.

Continuing, the DA said, the defendant dragged the victim toward the back of the darkened alley way. As alleged, he removed some of her clothes and raped her. The defendant fled the scene after allegedly going through the victim’s pockets and stealing her money. The 27-year-old woman flagged down a civilian who called 911.

The victim was taken to a nearby hospital, according to the charges, where she was treated and a rape kit was used to gather DNA evidence. A DNA profile was established, but there was no match at the time. A DNA match was determined during the course of the investigation. The defendant was found in Forest Park, Georgia and transported back to Queens on Friday to face charges.

The investigation was conducted by the New York City Police Department’s Special Victims Squad with the assistance of members of the Clayton County Police Department in Georgia.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Regan of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Eric C. Rosenbaum, Bureau Chief, Debra Lynn Pomodore and Brian Hughes, Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.

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