Predator Accused of Raping Teen on Bronx Park Bench Arrested: NYPD
A man accused of raping a 19-year-old woman on a Bronx park bench was arrested Friday after sharp-eyed NYPD officers identified him from surveillance footage, police said.
Xavier Chapman, 30, allegedly approached the victim around 3 a.m. Wednesday as she sat alone at Park Avenue and East 183rd Street in Belmont. Police said he exposed himself, pinned the woman down, and forced himself on her before fleeing when she screamed and fought back.
Investigators released video of the suspect the following day, showing him dressed in black with his hood pulled up. Members of the NYPD Warrants Section later tracked Chapman through an “extensive video canvas,” authorities said.
He was charged with rape, sexual abuse, and harassment.
Court records show Chapman has a prior arrest for public lewdness, stemming from an April incident in which he was accused of exposing himself at a Bronx apartment building. That case was adjourned in contemplation of dismissal.
The arrest came a day after another Bronx rape in Kingsbridge, where parolee Nicholas Dejesus, 42, allegedly assaulted a 33-year-old woman near West 230th Street.
Rapes are up 27.5% in The Bronx this year, with 380 incidents reported compared to 298 during the same period in 2024, according to NYPD statistics. Citywide, reported rapes have risen about 21%. Police have attributed part of the increase to legislative changes that broaden the definition of rape.
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