Police Link Man Charged With Rye Town Park Assault To Other Incidents

RYE, NY — City of Rye Commissioner of Public Safety Michael Kopy gave new details about the arrest of a suspect linked to nighttime attacks on teenage girls in the city.

At a media briefing on Monday, Kopy confirmed that investigators believe that the suspect in custody is linked to an earlier assault near the high school. He also said that a third troubling incident might also be tied to 21-year-old Richard A. Olmino, of Port Chester, who police arrested in connection with an assault that occurred shortly after midnight on June 23 at Rye Town Beach.

Kopy said that after police reached out to the public looking for information on potential suspects, a 15-year-old girl came forward to report a previously unknown incident.

"Part of that investigation required us to notify the public and seek their help in identifying the suspect," Kopy said. "We put a notification out. After that notification came out, we were contacted by who was then a 15-year-old female and her mother to report what they said was a strange incident. They reported that at approximately 2 a.m. on May 3 that the 15-year-old was walking. She had just departed from a group of friends at the intersection of Oakland Beach and Milton Road. She was heading south on Milton Road when she was confronted by a subject who began to talk to her. She claims she got afraid and immediately turned back to her friends. When we discussed this with her, her description was similar to the suspect that we had been seeking in the first event. Although no crime is reported to have occurred there, we are looking to identify that subject also."

SEE ALSO: Man Charged In Rye Attack On Teen Also Charged With Hamptons Rape: PD

Kopy also confirmed that investigators believe that Olmino is connected to an attack earlier this month near the high school.

"At approximately 1 a.m. on June 3, an 18-year-old female reported that she was walking on the Playland Parkway with a friend," Kopy told reporters. "She separated from the friend at the Post Road, and she reported that she was followed by a male subject. The male subject caught up with her at the Rye high school football field, at which point, after a brief conversation between the two, she was assaulted there. The victim at the conclusion of the assault continued northbound on the Post Road where a Rye police officer was observing traffic approximately 100 yards away at Parsons Street. The subject at that point fled the scene southbound on the Post Road."

SEE ALSO: Rye PD Seeks Help In Prom Night Assault On Teen Near HS Football Field

So far, Olmino has only been charged in connection with the most recent attack at Rye Town Beach. Officials said that the Port Chester man was already out on bail on charges stemming from a sexual assault in Suffolk County.

"Just around midnight Wednesday into Thursday morning, we received a report from a 16-year-old female who had been jogging on Forest Avenue in the area of Dearborn near Rye Town Park," Kopy said of the latest attack. "Again, a male subject approached her. She didn’t know from where. He began questioning with her and subsequently tackled her in the park and assaulted her. We were fortunate on that night that ... the Rye Town Park had a security guard on duty, that the security guard heard screaming and came up and interrupted the assault. The suspect at that point fled over the rock wall and continued down Oakland Beach Avenue in the direction of Milton Road... [Lieutenant] Anfuso was working that night and began an investigation. That investigation required extensive searching in the area. We were able to recover evidence that night that was critical to a quicker than we had expected identification of the subject."

SEE ALSO: Suspect Sought In Late-Night Attack On Teenage Girl At Rye Town Beach

Kopy said police identified their suspect Saturday afternoon. A surveillance team was requested as plans were made to take him into custody. Early Saturday evening, they made a positive identication of the suspect from the June 23 attack. They assigned surveillance to a location in Port Chester. Olmino was then seen leaving an apartment building on King Street in Port Chester and was arrested.

He will be back in court Tuesday morning.

SEE ALSO: Port Chester Man Arrested In Rye Town Beach Attack On Teen Girl: RPD

Police are still seeking the public's help, as Kopy described the investigation as "active and ongoing." He said investigators are still working to resolve the first assault that took place by the high school. Due to Olmino's history of predatory sexual behavior, it's likely that there are additional victims.

"We believe that he may have been providing services to residents in this area," Kopy said. "What we also know is that these attacks all took place in close proximity and that they all began on or around Milton Road or they terminated there. So he appears to have had some familiarity with that area."

Olmino is a landscaper for Hidalgo Landscaping based in Port Chester, according to officials. He drives a grey 2009 Acura MDX. Anyone with information about Olmino is being urged by police to call the Rye Police Department at 914-967-1234.

"This is an individual who was out on bail that we had no idea had landed a couple miles from Rye police headquarters," Kopy said. "So, as the investigation is going on, we're looking at similar suspects and similar incidents in Westchester County, New York City, and Fairfield, Connecticut. We had no idea that this subject was out on bail for a serious crime that had occurred out in eastern Long Island."

It appears that the suspect in custody has a long history of disturbing run-ins with the law.

"The subject is currently in court out there for a charge of criminal sexual act in the first degree which is a Class B felony, as well as strangulation and other charges," Kopy said. "Additionally, we know that he has a record for public lewdness and indecency. He currently has charges pending in Norwalk, and we’re looking at other charges that are coming to light now in the Sound Shore area where he may have exposed himself."

Officials said the full scope of the investigation could eventually involve several Hudson Valley jurisdictions.

"Clearly, this individual has a history of predatory sexual behavior," Kopy told reporters. "We've seen the rap sheet, we're seeing what happened in a very quick period of time in this area. So I think it is likely that we may see additional complaints come in."

He thanked the victims for their assistance, noting that Olmino might have still been out there if not for the bravery of those individuals who came forward.

"I want to thank the victims publicly for their commitment and courage in an extremely difficult time. But they have been there, they have been working with the detectives and it is not easy," the commissioner said. "But for the sake of their commitment, we may not be standing here today."

The commissioner also thanked Rye Police Department members for their hard work, including Det. Klein, Det. Anderson, Det. Caputo. Kopy singled out Lt. Anfuso who spent nights sleeping on the floor of his office because he didn't want to lose time commuting back and forth between work and home.

The city's top public safety official also thanked the Westchester Department of Public Safety, the Westchester District Attorney's Office and the FBI.