Bronx: 18-Year-Old Suspect Arrested and Charged for Alleged Sexual Assault of 13-Year-Old

A suspect was arrested Thursday night in connection to the alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in the Bronx on Monday afternoon.

Suspect Rahmel Bali, 18, was arrested for the alleged crime at his home on Thursday, which is under two blocks from the site of the alleged sexual assault at Crotona Park, according to the New York Daily News.

The Bronx Special Victims Squad needs to identify this male wanted for a sexual assault of a young girl that occurred on Monday, 11/8/21 at 2:35pm inside of Crotona Park. Do you know him? 📞Call 718-378-8921@NYPDTips @NYPD42Pct pic.twitter.com/LzxsBYomix

— NYPD Special Victims (@NYPDSVU) November 11, 2021

Authorities say that the victim was walking home from school, in Crotona Park, at approximately 2:30 p.m. when Bali allegedly assaulted the teen, according to the New York Post. Police say he allegedly tossed her to the ground before pulling off her leggings and sexually assaulting her, the outlet reports.

Bali then allegedly stole the victim’s phone before leaving the scene, the Post reports.

The teen went to the hospital for treatment after the incident, the New York Daily News reports.

The suspect was arrested after a tipster called NYPD’s Crimes Stoppers hotline and provided them with Bali’s address after the tipster observed images of the suspect, the outlet reports.

Police have charged Bali with “criminal sexual assault, attempted sex abuse, criminal obstruction of breathing, assault and harassment,” according to Pix11.

Bali has 8 prior arrests, which all occurred when he was a juvenile, per the New York Daily News. Six of the arrests stem from criminal mischief, while two of the arrests were related to burglaries, the outlet reports.