A vagrant, often seen around a park in the upscale neighborhood of Upper East Side, was apprehended for a purported sex crime near the official residence of the New York City Mayor, Gracie Mansion, authorities confirmed on a recent Tuesday. The man, Quincy Burks, aged 30, was taken into police custody around 6:45 pm on a recent Monday evening for his alleged assault on a young woman of 19 years, in the area of East End Avenue and E. 90th Street in the Yorkville district.
Burks, a common presence at Carl Shurz Park, within which Gracie Mansion is situated, is alleged to have attacked the young woman abruptly in the early hours of a recent Saturday morning. The authorities relate that he is said to have forcefully pinned the victim to the ground, violated her, and was on the verge of sexually assaulting her when an unexpected savior, doorman Hector Mateo, intervened.
Armed with only his flashlight, Mateo left his building upon sensing something amiss. Moments later, he identified the assailant fleeing from the scene upon his appearance. The doorman recalled the sight of the man emerging from the shadows and running at high speed. Despite a futile attempt at pursuing him, the distance was too great.
Following the attacker’s escape, Mateo assisted the woman to her feet and escorted her to his station where they awaited the arrival of the law enforcement officers. Subsequent to their arrival, the victim was transported to the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell where she received medical attention and was kept under watch.
According to Mateo, the victim was visibly paralyzed with fear and couldn’t contain her tears. Expressing his compassion, the doorman said, ‘I hope she’s doing well today and manages to recover from the horrific experience.’
While the culprit managed to evade the law that Saturday, surveillance cameras near the scene managed to capture his image. As the police commenced their search, they discovered that he was identified as a homeless individual who is regularly noticed in the park.
Late on Monday, the man was discovered by law enforcement near the waterfront of the park. He was subsequently arrested and faced charges of attempted sexual assault, sexual abuse, and forcible touching. This marks his first recorded legal offense in New York City, as indicated by sources from the police department.
At the time of reporting, Quincy Burks was awaiting his court hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court. It remained unclear what his defense would be.
The assault occurred a mere three blocks away from Mayor Adams’ residence within the boundaries of Gracie Mansion. This incident adds to the recent surge of criminal activities that have alarmed residents in an otherwise peaceful neighborhood.
Just three weeks previously, an equally harrowing event unfolded in the same area, staining the neighborhood with a tragedy involving a custody dispute that ended in both murder and suicide.
An elderly woman named Kathleen Leigh, a 65-year-old retiree from Chicago who was previously employed as a probation officer, was reported to have fatally shot Marisa Galloway, the mother of her grandchild, on E. 88th Street close to York Ave. In a tragic turn of events, Leigh ended her own life following the act.
Police arrived at the site of the incident which took place at 8:50 am and discovered a letter written by Leigh. The chilling contents of the note detailed the woman’s struggle with a terminal illness and allegations against Galloway of child abuse towards her granddaughter. However, these accusations had been previously investigated and disproven by child service professionals.