June 9, 2014 By Christian Murray
A Flushing man has been arrested and charged with attempted rape for allegedly attacking a woman in the elevator of her Astoria apartment building last week.
Elvis McKenzie, 27, was arraigned Monday on charges of first-degree attempted rape stemming from the attack, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
According to the complaint, McKenzie followed the victim into her building (located near 8th Street and 27th Avenue) on June 2nd around 11:30 pm and then went on to attack her.
McKenzie began choking and punching the woman in the face, according to the complaint. He then exposed himself and attempted to pull down her pants. When the elevator doors opened on a floor, the woman allegedly managed to use her leg to prevent the doors from closing and began screaming for help. McKenzie then fled.
Richard A. Brown, the Queens District Attorney, said in a statement: “The defendant is accused of following his victim like a predator and waiting until she was isolated and trapped inside an elevator before attempting to sexually assault her. The offenses that the defendant is charged with committing are crimes of violence that pose a serious threat to public safety and as such warrant punishment by a lengthy prison term.”
McKenzie is charged with first-degree attempted rape, assault and criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, Brown said.
He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.