New York City police have arrested Felix Rojas, a 44-year-old Brooklyn resident, who is accused of sexually abusing a corpse aboard a subway train earlier this month.
Arrest and Charges
Rojas was arrested on Sunday night and charged with first-degree rape, the NYPD announced in a press release on Monday morning. Police allege that Rojas is the man caught on CCTV footage on April 9, engaging in sexual acts with a dead body aboard an R train in Lower Manhattan.
The Victim: Jorge Gonzalez
The victim, identified as Jorge Gonzalez, 37, was found dead earlier that night. According to the New York Daily News, Gonzalez’s estranged wife, Teresa, was devastated when she learned of his death. Teresa shared that she met Gonzalez when she was 15 during her quinceañera and married him when she was 24. The couple had moved to the U.S. together, hoping to start a new life.
“Even though he was from the countryside, he adapted to any situation,” Teresa told the Daily News. “We could go eat a steak or sushi at a nice place – or, at the same time, we could go to the corner and get tacos. I really couldn’t do that with other friends.”
The Attack and Discovery
Police state that Gonzalez died of natural causes around 8 p.m. on the evening of the incident. After finding the victim’s body, which was lying still, Rojas allegedly rummaged through the victim’s pockets before engaging in sexual acts with the corpse. According to police documents, Rojas fled the train after the incident.
Manhunt and Arrest
After weeks of investigation, Rojas turned himself in to police on Sunday evening. He is now in custody and is expected to be arraigned later on Monday. Police continue to investigate the case, and more charges may follow.
