Missing New Jersey man with dementia has ties to Manhattan, police say

Police arrested a 33-year-old man Sunday who is accused of attempting to rape an 83-year-old woman in Inwood as she entered her apartment, authorities said. The woman fought him off and was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Yahiness Holden was arrested following an investigation into the Oct. 26 attack, according to the New York City Police Dept. He faces charges of attempted rape, assault, burglary, stalking and attempted sexual abuse.

Investigators say Holden followed the woman down the street and into a residential building near Vermilyea Ave. and West 204th St. The attack happened just before 9:00 in the morning.

As the woman entered her apartment, police say Holden exposed himself, made sexual advances and tried to push his way inside, police said. The woman managed to fight him off during a struggle, and he fled on foot without entering the apartment. Emergency medical workers treated her at the scene.

Holden, whom police identified as experiencing homelessness, was arrested in Chinatown around 9:00 AM.

The attack has brought outrage and raised safety concerns among neighbors, including Inwood resident Carolin Garcia. “She’s old enough to be his grandma,” Garcia told NBC New York. “That’s actually disgusting and I hope that she’s safe.” Garcia said.

Elizabeth Kennedy of Washington Heights said the woman’s age underscored her concerns about the attack.

“Rape is about power and opportunity as much as anything more than sexuality and so for an (83)-year-old woman to be attacked, it goes to the heart of that issue,” she said.

Some neighbors said they would like to see more officers in the community more often to help them feel safer.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication.