Bronx park bench rape leads to arrest after video trail; another assault underscores rise in Bronx rapes

The New York Police Department on Friday announced the arrest of Xavier Chapman, 30, in connection with a Wednesday morning rape of a 19-year-old woman on a Bronx park bench at Park Avenue and East 183rd Street in Belmont. Police said the attack occurred around 3 a.m. Wednesday when Chapman approached the victim, exposed himself, pinned her down and forced himself on her before fleeing when she screamed and resisted.

Surveillance video released Thursday showed a man wearing all black with a hood up walking along a sidewalk near the scene. The NYPD’s Warrants Section tracked down Chapman through an extensive video canvas and arrested him Friday, authorities said. He was charged with rape, sexual abuse and harassment, police said.

Chapman has a prior arrest for a lewd act involving exposure at the front door of a Bronx apartment on April 20, according to a criminal complaint. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in May, and in July the case was adjourned in contemplation of dismissal, prosecutors said.

In a separate assault on Wednesday about 12 hours earlier, Nicholas Dejesus, 42, allegedly punched and raped a 33-year-old woman on Broadway near West 230th Street in Kingsbridge, authorities said. Dejesus, who was on parole for robbery, was arrested roughly 12 hours after the attack and charged with rape, sexual abuse, assault and harassment, police said.

Rapes are up 27.5% in the Bronx so far this year, with 380 reported compared with 298 through the same point in 2024, according to the latest NYPD data. Citywide statistics show a similar surge, with 1,484 rapes reported across the five boroughs so far this year—about a 21% increase from 1,182 during the same period in 2024. The NYPD has said the rise can be attributed in part to legislative changes that broaden the definition of rape and include additional forms of sexual assault.