Inwood Sexual Assault Suspect Had Been Arrested Twice in October

INWOOD, NY — A man arrested for a violent sexual assault in Inwood had been arrested twice before in the month of October. But despite being in the middle of an apparent crime spree, the man was allowed to walk the streets of Inwood.

Yenson Reyes, 35, was arrested on Oct. 12 and Oct. 16 for robbing several cab drivers in the Inwood neighborhood, according to criminal complaints from the Manhattan District Attorney's office. Reyes called at least seven cabs to Inwood addresses and at the end of the ride would request to use the driver's cellphone, according to the complaint.

But when the driver handed Reyes the phone he would get out of the cab and take off, according to the complaint.

When Reyes was arrested on Oct. 12 he told an officer that he had been stealing phones from cab drivers for about two weeks, according to the criminal complaint.

For the Oct. 12 arrest the DA's office requested bail be set at $50,000, but Reyes was given supervised release, a spokesman for the DA told Patch. For the Oct. 16 arrest the DA's office requested bail be set at $15,000 but bail was set at $5,000 in cash or $10,000 in bond, said the spokesman.

Reyes was arrested Monday for the sexual assault of a 26-year-old woman in her Inwood apartment. Reyes entered the woman's apartment around 9:22 p.m. Sunday and brandished a screwdriver, police told Patch. Reyes force the woman to perform oral sex and demanded she give him valuables from her home, police said

The victim was taken to an area hospital for treatment and evaluation, police said.

State Sen. Adriano Espaillat — who represents Inwood — praised officers from the NYPD 34th Precinct for their swift response.

"I have been in close contact with Deputy Inspector Reymundo Mundo, the commanding officer of the 34th Precinct, following last night's horrific sexual assault on 213th Street in Inwood," Espaillat said in a statement. "He has informed me that a person of interest is in custody. I want to thank the 34th Precinct and everyone involved in the investigation for working diligently to protect Upper Manhattan residents. I will continue to keep in close contact with Deputy Inspector Mundo and update the community as the investigation progresses."

Reyes was scheduled to be arraigned for his third October arrest — the sexual assault — on Tuesday.

Photo: Patch