Man indicted in brutal attack, rape in Suffolk County
NEW YORK - A Shirley man was indicted Wednesday for allegedly strangling and raping a woman who was walking on a trail in Coram.
Suffolk County authorities say Jesse Diaz, 29, is a violent predator who attacked a woman in the middle of the day on May 27, 2021.
The woman was walking on a wooded path near the intersection of Route 112 and Skips Road at around 1 p.m. when prosecutors say Diaz came up behind her, grabbed and dragged her by the throat, and strangled her until she briefly lost consciousness. He then allegedly raped her.
The woman was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital Medical Center with broken blood vessels and bruising on her neck consistent with strangulation.
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District Attorney Timothy Sini said. "This was a deeply disturbing, savage crime, and we will prosecute the defendant to the fullest extent of the law."
Diaz was later identified as a possible suspect and the victim positively identified him in a photo array.
He was arrested on June 2.
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Diaz is charged with felony rape and felony strangulation and is being held without bail. Diaz is being represented by the Legal Aid Society and is due back in court on July 13.
If convicted, Diaz faces up to 25 years in prison.
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