Corona Man Arrested For Rape Near Prospect Park

By Christina Carrega

BQ Daily Eagle

A Queens man was arrested on Wednesday for sexually assaulting and choking a woman near Prospect Park, police said.

Mowngly Lucas — who was released on his own recognizance by a Brooklyn judge for a June robbery case — allegedly attacked a 59-year-old woman from behind and put her in a chokehold nearby Parade Place and Parkside Avenue.

During the Nov. 18 attack at 4 a.m., Lucas told the woman that he was armed with a knife and gun and would hurt her if she didn’t comply with his demands, police said.

Lucas, 28, allegedly pushed the woman onto a parked van and attempted to rape her but was unable. Instead, he dragged her behind to a park bench and raped her, police said.

Afterwards, Lucas broke into a van, dragged the woman inside and tried to rape her again, but failed, police said. He allegedly stole $10 from her purse, kicked her out of the vehicle and walked away from the crime scene.

Lucas was seen walking out of the park and at the Franklin Avenue train station.

Police charged Lucas with two counts of rape, robbery, strangulation, burglary, sexual abuse and unlawful imprisonment.

Lucas is currently awaiting to be arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court.

This isn’t the first case where Lucas is accused of choking a stranger.

In June, Lucas put a man in a chokehold near the corner of Ocean Avenue and Glenwood Road and stole $74, according to the criminal complaint. He was arrested days later and charged with second-degree robbery and a slew of other charges including criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation.

Lucas’ case was still pending grand jury action in Brooklyn Supreme Court, according to court records. If convicted of the June robbery case, Lucas faces up to 15 years in prison.