Repeat offender busted for Bronx rape after stop for hopping turnstile, NYPD says
Police say Zion Exum, 26, was taken into custody after a turnstile jump led to a link with a Sept. 13 Bronx rape; authorities note a history of prior arrests.
A 26-year-old repeat offender was arrested after being stopped for hopping a turnstile in the Bronx Friday night, and investigators connected him to a Bronx rape case from earlier this month, the NYPD said. The stop occurred at the Jackson Avenue Subway station in the South Bronx at 10:19 p.m., when officers observed the man, later identified as Zion Exum, 26, hop the turnstile.
The suspect, a Brooklyn resident, was later determined to be wanted in connection with a Sept. 13 rape in the Williamsbridge area. Police said the 25-year-old woman was approached at about 4:05 a.m. on East 212th Street, briefly spoken to, then dragged to the ground and forcibly raped. Exum now faces charges of rape in the first degree and theft of service for the turnstile hop, the NYPD said.
The arrest at the Jackson Avenue station was followed by Exum's appearance in Bronx Criminal Court on Saturday, with photographs showing him in a leather jacket, handcuffs and leg shackles as he was led from the station. The NYPD also released an image of the suspect in connection with the Sept. 13 attack.
NYPD investigators noted that Exum has a long history with law enforcement. He has four prior charges in connection with various incidents, including a Sept. 25 assault charge, another assault in July 2025, a menacing charge from April 2024, and criminal mischief from January 2021, according to the department. Records show a Sept. 20 arrest in Queens tied to an Aug. 29 assault. Police said an anonymous tip received within the last three days helped confirm the suspect’s identity in connection with the Sept. 13 rape.
Authorities did not disclose a motive or provide additional details about the ongoing investigation. Prosecutors could pursue additional charges as the case moves through the Bronx court system.