MAN IS CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED RAPE OF 83-YEAR-OLD IN NYC
A 33-year-old homeless man with a lengthy criminal history has been charged with attempted rape after police say he followed an 83-year-old woman into her Upper Manhattan apartment building and attacked her. Yahiness Holden was arrested in Queens after officers questioned him on a subway train, leading them to identify him as the suspect from the October 26, 2026, alleged assault.
The incident happened shortly before 9 a.m. near Vermilyea Avenue and West 204th Street in the Inwood neighborhood. According to the New York Post, police said Holden followed the elderly woman into her building.
As she reached her apartment, police said Holden exposed himself and made sexual advances. Police sources told amNewYork that the suspect asked the woman, “Do you want this?” during the encounter.
The woman fought back to keep him out of her home. The New York Daily News reported that she slammed the door in his face and called 911.
“After a slight struggle, the individual was unsuccessful in entering the apartment and fled the location on foot,” the NYPD said in a statement.
The woman was treated for minor hand injuries. Following the alleged attack, police released surveillance images of the suspect and asked the public for help identifying him.
The search ended on November 7, 2026, when officers spotted Holden taking up two seats on a northbound E train near Kew Gardens. The Daily News reported that he initially gave police a false name, but officers recognized him from the surveillance footage.
Holden has 16 prior arrests, including previous charges for weapons possession and forcible touching. When reporters asked him about the alleged sexual assault as he was escorted from the stationhouse, he refused to answer questions.
The arrest comes amid a slight rise in sexual assaults across the city. The New York Post reported that 1,774 rapes were reported citywide through November 1, 2026, marking a two percent increase from the same period the previous year.
On November 8, 2026, Holden was charged with attempted rape, assault, stalking, attempted sexual abuse, and two counts of burglary. He is currently awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court.
