Man Pretended To Be A Plumber To Sexually Abuse Woman At Home

YONKERS, NY — A man who tricked a woman into allowing him into her Nepperhan Avenue apartment in Yonkers before sexually abusing her, and was later seen fondling himself by another after he fled the scene of the initial crime, has been found guilty following a one-week jury trial, Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah announced today.

Folarin Soluade was found guilty of burglary as a sexually motivated felony and public lewdness. The 38-year-old, who was deemed "a discretionary persistent felony offender" by prosecutors, faces a sentence ranging from a minimum of 16 years to a maximum of 25 years to life in prison.

“We will have zero tolerance for sexual abuse and misconduct of anyone,” Rocah said. “The conduct in this case is especially outrageous because Folarin Soluade preyed upon an especially vulnerable victim. This verdict reaffirms that our system protects all individuals, regardless of their background.”

On the morning of June 24, 2020, Soluade knocked on doors in a Nepperhan Avenue apartment building in Yonkers attempting to gain entry. Posing as someone who was there to fix a pipe, a female resident, who did not speak or understand English, allowed Soluade inside her apartment, believing he was sent by the landlord to do repairs on the bathroom.

Once inside, Soluade exposed himself by dropping his pants.

The woman screamed and ran into the hallway, but Soluade, who was still undressed, followed her and pinned her against the wall. As he tried to silence her and assault her, another resident intervened and Soluade fled the building.

Soluade was later seen in the parking lot fondling himself, which prompted a second victim to call the police. When Yonkers police arrived, the first victim also reported her attack.

Soluade is scheduled to be sentenced on September 24.