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Alleged Hudson River Park Attacker Raped Victim Twice, DA Says

Irene Plagianos

By Irene Plagianos on September 26, 2012 2:32pm | Updated on September 27, 2012 10:35am

 
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MANHATTAN CRIMINAL COURT — The homeless registered sex offender accused of sexually assaulting a woman in the Hudson River Greenway near Harrison street actually raped the young victim twice, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Jonathan Stewart, 25, attacked his 21-year-old victim after striking up a conversation with her on a park bench early Saturday morning, prosecutors said.

Assistant district attorney Alyssa Gunther said Stewart, a convicted felon, "put a choke hold" on the woman and dragged her to a nearby area before raping her.

The young woman was then able to break free, but, Gunther said, "she wasn't able to get far before he caught her." Stewart chased down his victim, punched and strangled her, then raped her again, Gunther said.

The woman managed to flee again, and, running from her attacker, flagged down Hudson River Park officers.

Stewart, who was arraigned on first degree rape charges via video feed from the Bellevue Hospital psych ward Wednesday, said little during the arraignment, only answering "yes" when the judge asked if he understood what was happening and if he'd had a chance to speak with his lawyer.
 
Officers captured Stewart soon after the assault on the median of the West Side Highway at North Moore Street, a block away from where police said the attack occurred.

He was taken to Bellevue after threatening to kill himself, officials said.

Prosecutors said Stewart is a "violent predicate felon" who was convicted of first degree robbery and first degree sexual abuse in 2004. He was also a registered sex offender as a result of his 2004 conviction.
 
He was released in July following a stint in jail in 2011 for a parole violation.
 
He was ordered held without bail Wednesday.
 
A grand jury has already indicted Stewart for the rape, prosecutors said. The charges will be available on his next court date, Oct. 23.
File photo of a NYPD patrol car.
 
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Jonathan Stewart Daniel Murphy
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