Jawarren Booker, 29, is now charged with rape and burglary in connection to the assault in Suffolk County.
The attack happened back on Friday, October 24 between 6:15 a.m. and 7:15 a.m. It's a crime that has rattled a normally quiet apartment complex in Holbrook.
"Oh, I'm sick to my stomach, it's disgusting," one woman told Eyewitness News.
An arrest offers only some comfort after the alleged crime. Police say Booker broke into an apartment through a window, pinned down the 74-year-old woman in her own home and raped her.
Once he fled, the victim called 911 and was taken to a local hospital.
Authorities say the 29-year-old suspect, originally from Ridge, was staying with someone he knew in Holbrook, sleeping on an air mattress in the same apartment complex as his victim.
"This is a crime that is really unspeakable, and this gentleman, Mr. Booker, is a poor excuse for a human being," Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine said.
Thanks to DNA and surveillance video, as well as four days of detective work, investigators say they caught Booker in the Bronx on Tuesday morning. Authorities say it was the victim's strength that helped lead to Booker's arrest.
"The marshals, D.A.'s office, our people, the NYPD were all involved in the apprehension of this individual," said Kevin Catalina, commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department.
On Wednesday, Booker appeared in court in Central Islip for his arraignment. Police say the suspect has a past criminal record.
Despite the suspect's arrest, residents say nerves remain on edge in the neighborhood.
"It's horrible. To know right next door, you know, I was dead sleeping. And she's getting raped at the same time, it's just ridiculous," a neighbor said.
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