Man arrested after good Samaritan thwarts Newburgh robbery, rape attempt

NEWBURGH (WABC) -- A good Samaritan is being hailed as a hero after he stopped a man police say attempted to rob and rape a woman in Newburgh over the weekend.

The incident happened just after 5 a.m. Saturday, when Newburgh police responded to the area of Dickson Street and Walsh Road for a report of an assault in progress.

Arriving officers observed several people holding down an individual who was alleged to have forcibly taken a purse from the female victim on nearby Lake Street.

The woman, while screaming for help, was able to chase the man down. She attempted to retrieve her purse, and that's when police say the suspect -- 31-year-old Jose Soto -- began assaulting her.

Authorities say he knocked her to the ground, and there, attempted to sexually assault the victim, who continued to yell for help. An area resident, who only wanted to be identified by his last name -- Jordan -- rushed to her aid.

"I hear, 'Help me, help me,' so I'm really not paying any mind to it," he said. "But then I hear, 'Rape,' so I'm like, oh my God, let me go see what's going on."

His wife called 911 while her husband chased the suspect to a nearby parking lot, where he restrained him until police arrived.

"It looked horrific," Jordan's wife said. "I'm still shocked. Right on the grass, in front of everyone, anyone to see."

Jordan said he doesn't want to be branded a hero and was only trying to do the right thing.

"It was wrong," he said. "It was wrong. I don't have any other different words, it's just straight up wrong. No man should ever, ever do that to a woman."

And that's why he said he also doesn't feel bad about the beating he administered to Soto, now charged with first-degree attempted rape and second-degree robbery.

"I caught him with the left, I caught him with the right, and then I caught him with an uppercut," Jordan said.

Soto is being held on $1 million bond.