Arrest made in sexual assault/robbery spree in Greenpoint and Williamsburg

Edgar Marrero, 24, was formally arrested and charged with rape, attempted rape, burglary, robbery, forcible touching, and sexual abuse in the attacks on four women in Greenpoint and Williamsburg on Monday night, August 12.

Marrero is listed by police as being homeless; he was apprehended shortly after the fourth attack, when he was found sleeping on the third floor landing at 161 Nassau Street at around 1:30 a.m.

He had had a busy night before being found: spending the preceding five hours knocking on doors and sexually assaulting or attempting to sexually assault the women who answered his knocks. Yesterday, we reported that there had been three victims. According to police, there were actually four.

At around 8 p.m., Marrero allegedly forced his way into the Berry Street home of his first victim by punching her in the face when she answered the door. The 27-year-old Asian woman regained consciousness as she was being sexually assaulted, at which point she began screaming and attempting to fight him off, causing him to flee with her cell phone and laptop. The woman was taken to Woodhull Medical Center for treatment and evaluation.

At 9:45 p.m., the suspect then entered a house at Russell and Driggs Streets through an unlocked door, then forced a 40-year-old Hispanic woman onto the couch in an attempt to sexually assault her. However, her screams alerted her husband, who ran into the room and fought off the suspect, who fled with the woman’s cell phone. The woman did not sustain serious injuries.

At 10:05 p.m., the same suspect targeted a 44-year-old Caucasian woman on the sidewalk as she was securing her bicycle to a pole at Kingsland and Nassau Avenues. He allegedly hit her in the face with a bag and then sexually assaulted her.

Just a few minutes later, at 10:23 p.m., the suspect allegedly continued up Kingsland Avenue to a house near Norman Avenue, where he opened an unlocked door and attempted to sexually assault a 37-year-old Caucasian woman. The woman’s screams brought her roommate to her defense, at which point the suspect fled with a cell phone and laptop.

We will update this story if more information becomes available.