A Georgia man was arrested this week practically three a long time after he allegedly invaded 5 girls’s Queens properties and brutally raped them — in some instances at gunpoint or with their child within the subsequent room, in keeping with authorities.
Michael Benjamin, 57, was cuffed Thursday morning after DNA proof from a discarded cup linked him to quite a few “violent” rapes in southeast Queens between 1995 and 1997, in keeping with prosecutors and police sources.
He was first apprehended on Sept. 22 the place he lives in Conyers, Ga. Investigators had collected his DNA from a cup he left contained in the Rockdale County Sheriff’s workplace after which matched the pattern to DNA proof from the separate rape instances, Queens District Legal professional Melinda Katz mentioned.
Benjamin was extradited to the Massive Apple on Wednesday and booked on prices together with rape within the first diploma, sodomy within the first diploma, sexual assault within the first diploma, and housebreaking within the first diploma, prosecutors mentioned.
Greater than 30 years in the past, in July 1995, Benjamin allegedly broke into the house of a 24-year-old lady close to 113th Street and 194th Road in St. Albans and pulled a sheet over her head whereas raping her, in keeping with regulation enforcement sources.
He then fled the house along with her money and jewellery, prosecutors mentioned.
A couple of 12 months later, in August 1996, he allegedly entered a house on one hundred and fortieth Avenue and South Conduit Avenue round 2 a.m. and lined a 27-year-old lady’s head with a jacket earlier than raping her, sources mentioned.
He then went room to room and snatched objects from the house, whereas threatening the sufferer not to have a look at him, sources added.
Within the third incident, Benjamin allegedly raped a 21-year-old lady in September 1996 as she walked dwelling close to 131st Road and Hook Creek Boulevard.
He allegedly grabbed her and compelled her by means of a again entrance into her residence at gunpoint earlier than shutting off the lights and raping her as he threatened to kill her husband and youngster, who have been dwelling on the time of the heinous act, authorities and sources mentioned.
In February 1997, he then allegedly raped a 21-year-old and a 33-year-old lady after breaking into the again of a house holding a gun close to 241st Road and 136th Avenue, authorities mentioned.
He drank and ate meals from the house earlier than fleeing the scene with money and jewellery, in keeping with prosecutors and sources.
A bald, glasses-wearing Benjamin screamed that he was harmless Thursday on his solution to courtroom from a Bronx precinct, the place the Particular Victims Division DNA Chilly Case Squad is positioned.
“I didn’t do that. I didn’t do none of this. What victims? I didn’t do nothing. I didn’t do that. What y’all speaking about?” he yelled out to reporters.
The alleged brute relocated to Georgia someday after the incidents, sources mentioned.
He was pre-indicted for the 5 rapes as a John Doe in 2002, which prevented the statute of limitations from operating out on prosecuting the case, sources added.
The suspect’s legal professional, Joseph Amsel, mentioned the pre-indictment goes in opposition to the statute of limitations.
“It might seem that the majority of this conduct — if not all of it — is nicely exterior the relevant statute of limitations, which exists for a motive as a result of it’s essentially unfair to require any person to defend themselves in opposition to the cost going again 30 years in the past,” Amsel mentioned.
“And the actual fact of the matter is, is that he denies the allegations wholeheartedly, and he’s trying ahead to his day in courtroom,” he added.
Benjamin is already a degree 3 intercourse offender after he was convicted of a July 1990 tried rape, in keeping with public information.
He obtained 5 years’ probation for the case.
The alleged rapist was ordered held with out bail at his arraignment on Thursday on a 17-count indictment in Queens Prison Courtroom, authorities mentioned.
“After a number of a long time, this defendant will lastly face prices of violently raping no less than 5 girls, some at gunpoint, between the years 1995 and 1997 in southeast Queens,” Katz mentioned in an announcement.
“Though a long time have handed, these chilly instances weren’t forgotten. Due to the bravery of the
victims, very important DNA proof was gathered, which helped regulation enforcement determine the particular person accountable.
It’s by no means too late for justice, and I thank my prosecutors and the detectives for his or her work on this case.”
If convicted of the highest prices, Benjamin faces as much as 25 years in jail.
He’ll return to courtroom on Dec. 5.
