Councilman Chaim Deutsch Offering $5,000 Reward For Information On Brighton Beach Rape Suspect
City Councilman Chaim Deutsch is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Asa Robert, the suspect accused of raping an 82-year-old woman on Monday morning inside her Brighton Beach home.
“I am shocked and disgusted at the heinous and barbaric nature of this crime against an elderly woman,” Deutsch said in a statement. “He has a history of police interaction and is now the subject of a police manhunt. In addition to the $2,500 reward being offered by the NYPD, I am adding to that a $5,000 reward for information leading up to his arrest and indictment.”
Police identified Robert, who is 18 years old, by collecting forensic evidence, including fingerprints, found in the victim’s bedroom. According to police, Robert broke into the elderly woman’s home at 1:40am on Monday, July 13, while she was outside sweeping the street. When she returned to her bedroom, Robert allegedly assaulted her at knifepoint and demanded cash. After the woman said she had no money, Robert stayed in her home for almost four hours before he forcibly raped her and then fled, police say.
On Tuesday night, Robert narrowly evaded capture by police, according to the New York Daily News. Police tracked the suspect to two different residential buildings in Crown Heights. Both times, the Daily News reports, Robert slipped away, first by changing his clothes and leaving through a back exit, then by escaping via the building’s roof.
In his statement, Deutsch also called on the NYPD to charge Robert with a bias crime.
“The victim has recounted that the attack occurred only after she made the assailant aware of her Jewish religious belief. He then forced her to swear on a Bible that she would not call the police,” Deutsch said. “This horrific crime has shaken our community to its core, and we will not rest easy until we know that the attacker is in police custody.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577. Police say all calls are kept confidential.