NEW YORK — The NYPD reported Wednesday that a suspect has been arrested in connection with the sexual assault of a woman in Central Park last month.
Jermaine Longmire, 43, was charged with attempted rape and sexual abuse in the June 24 incident. Police said Longmire’s DNA was found on the 21-year-old victim’s bikini bottoms and that they identified him using facial recognition technology. He was already in police custody on an unrelated charge.
According to police, Longmire, who was charged Thursday afternoon, has a lengthy criminal history in several states, including New Jersey, Maryland and Florida.
The victim was sunbathing alone in the Great Hill section of the park, near West Drive and 104th Street, when a man exposed himself and tackled her, police said. She fought him off and he ran away.
New York Police Department
Police released a sketch of the suspect, describing him as someone in his 30s, with curly hair and a medium build.
The alleged attack came amid a recent uptick in crime in Central Park. NYPD data from late April showed a spike in robberies in the precinct, from three in 2023 to 15 during the same period this year.
On March 30, “Boardwalk Empire” actor Michael Stuhlbarg was hit by a rock in the parkA few hours later, a 39-year-old woman was approached by a man who hit her with a hammer, police said.
