Man With 16 Prior Arrests Charged in Attempted Rape of 83-Year-Old Woman Inside Inwood Apartment

The latest

November 8, 2026.

A 33-year-old repeat offender with a history of 16 prior arrests has been taken into custody and charged with attempted rape after allegedly trailing an 83-year-old woman into her Upper Manhattan apartment building and violently trying to force his way into her home, New York City police announced.

According to criminal complaints filed in Manhattan Criminal Court, the suspect, identified by authorities as Yahiness Holden, followed the octogenarian victim as she walked into her residential complex near Vermilyea Avenue and West 204th Street in the Inwood section of Manhattan. When the woman reached her door, the assailant allegedly cornered her, exposed himself, and grabbed her body in a desperate assault that only ended when the elderly tenant courageously pushed him back and managed to lock her door.

Holden, who authorities described as an unhoused individual with open misdemeanor cases and prior violent felony busts, was apprehended by NYPD transit officers after an intense multi-day canvass of neighborhood and subway surveillance networks.

Stalked into apartment hallway

Police reports indicate the brazen attack took place in broad daylight at approximately 8:55 a.m. on Monday, October 26, as the victim was returning home from a routine morning errand.

Surveillance cameras captured Holden tailgating closely behind the woman as she entered the lobby through the building's exterior security doors. Holden reportedly rode the elevator alongside the victim before following her down the residential corridor.

As the victim inserted her key into the apartment lock, Holden allegedly blocked her path, made sexually explicit threats, and shoved his body forward to prevent her from closing the entrance.

Elderly victim fights off attacker

Despite being vastly overpowered, the 83-year-old victim demonstrated remarkable resilience, engaging in a physical struggle to push Holden backward toward the hallway.

During the scuffle, the victim was able to slam the apartment door shut and slide the deadbolt into place before calling 911. Emergency medical services treated the woman on the scene for minor bruising and abrasions, and neighbors praised her quick thinking and composure during the traumatic encounter.

"She showed extraordinary courage under horrific circumstances," an NYPD precinct official noted during a community briefing. "Had she not fought back with everything she had, this situation could have ended with even graver tragedy."

Apprehension on transit system and extensive rap sheet

Following the attack, the NYPD's Special Victims Division and the 34th Precinct circulated high-resolution security stills throughout city transit hubs. Holden was located over the weekend aboard a northbound train after transit officers noticed a passenger sprawled across two subway seats matching the fugitive's distinct facial description.

Holden has been arraigned on a litany of charges, including second-degree attempted rape, first-degree burglary, second-degree assault on an elderly victim, stalking, and attempted sexual abuse.

Court records reveal Holden has accumulated at least 16 previous arrests dating back more than a decade, including a November 2022 knifepoint subway robbery in Manhattan and recent summer 2026 charges in Bronx Criminal Court involving public lewdness and harassment. Prosecutors requested remand without bail at his initial hearing.

Where the incident occurred

The star marks the Vermilyea Avenue and West 204th Street residential area in Inwood, Upper Manhattan.

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Timeline of the Inwood attack and arrest

Chronology based on NYPD incident logs and Manhattan Criminal Court filings (Eastern Time):

1. October 26, 2026 (8:55 a.m. EDT) An 83-year-old woman is stalked into her building near Vermilyea Avenue and West 204th Street in Inwood; the attacker exposes himself and attempts forced entry before the victim locks him out.
2. October 27, 2026 NYPD detectives collect lobby and hallway surveillance footage and issue wanted bulletins across Upper Manhattan transit precincts.
3. November 6, 2026 Transit officers identify and arrest 33-year-old Yahiness Holden aboard a subway train after matching him to security photos.
4. November 7–8, 2026 The Manhattan District Attorney's Office arraigns Holden on attempted rape, burglary, and elder assault charges, citing his 16 prior arrests.

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Research note: Arrest allegations, prior arrest counts, and court proceedings were corroborated through NYPD public information releases, Manhattan Criminal Court dockets, and reporting by the New York Post and New York Daily News as of November 8, 2026. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.