By Gabriela Resto-Montero, Shayna Jacobs and Jon Schuppe
DNAinfo Reporters/Producers
MANHATTAN — A Hamilton Heights man arrested over an October sex attack — but freed after the charge was dropped — has been arrested again after allegedly returning to the crime scene and raping another woman.
Taurean Williams, 25, allegedly approached his latest victim, a 45-year-old woman, on the afternoon of New Year’s Day. Pulling out a fake police badge and two guns, he asked her for identification, police said. She said she didn’t have any. Williams told her he would escort her to a local precinct house.
Instead, he took her to the roof of a building on W. 153rd Street, near Broadway, where he raped her and stole her cell phone, police said.
It was the same building where Williams allegedly spent several hours on Oct. 12 raping and robbing a 17-year-old girl.
After his arrest for the October rape, Williams struck a deal with prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty Dec. 14 to a misdemeanor charge of possessing stolen property and was released on bail, according to court documents.
The rape charge, and several other serious criminal counts, were dismissed.
Williams, who is unemployed, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the New Year's Day attack. His lawyer, D. Andrew Marshall, said there was "no scientific evidence at this point" that tied his client to the crime.
Williams was scheduled to be sentenced this month for the misdemeanor charge stemming from the October incident. Authorities expected him to receive five years’ probation.
But that was before the latest allegations.
On Monday, officers showed up at Williams’ apartment on W. 151st Street with plans to arrest him for the New Year’s Day attack, police said. They took him into custody after a short foot chase and charged him with rape, robbery, criminal impersonation, resisting arrest and several other crimes.
Williams' neighbors said he grew up in the W. 151st Street building and lived there with his mother. They said they were surprised by the arrests.
Williams is now back in jail, this time without bail.
