Suspect identified in scary rape of 78-Year-oId Rosedale womany

Photo by David von Diemar on Unsplash.

By Phineas Rueckert

The quiet residential neighborhood of Rosedale, located just north of JFK Airport, is not the sort of neighborhood associated with gruesome crimes. But this week, a Queens man was accused of sexually assaulting a 78-year-old woman in her house, according to the NYPD.

Ryan Bayard, 30, allegedly raped the woman in the early morning Sunday, while allegedly repeating, “I like old ladies.” He was arrested Monday afternoon, according to a tweet posted by NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea just after 1:30 p.m.  

“The victim in this case should have been safe in her home. Instead, she was violently awakened by an attacker, who allegedly held a pillow to her face and viciously sexually assaulted her repeatedly while saying vile things,” Acting Queens DA John Ryan said in a statement Monday.

CBS2 reported that the house was derelict and frequented by squatters and that neighbors believed nobody had been living there at the time of the incident. The Daily News had reported that the woman was not sure if she had locked the side door on the night of the rape.

Bayard is charged with rape and criminal sexual act and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.