Queens district attorney urges victims of rape suspect to come forward
LONG ISLAND CITY, Queens (WABC) -- Police have arrested a man in connection to several rapes, two involving underage girls, in Queens, but investigators fear there may be more victims they don't know about yet.
Investigators believe 28-year-old Andres Portilla is a serial predator. He was arrested and charged with several counts of first-degree rape among other charges.
The Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said his victims included two 15-year-old girls and a 21-year-old woman.
"This was a very brutal time for them. Kidnapping, rape, assault. Everything that is anyone's worst nightmare," Katz said.
Detectives said Portilla would drive around the streets of Queens, luring his victims into a burgundy Honda Accord, and lock them inside where he would sexually assault and beat them.
The most recent incident happened just after the ball dropped on New Year's Eve near Queens Plaza South in Long Island City. According to court documents, the suspect offered up his phone charger, the girl got in the car, then Portillo drove her to a secluded area where investigators say he raped and beat her with a wrench.
In another case, the court documents allege Portilla sexually assaulted another victim and at one point even sliced her from her leg to her hip. She ended up in Harlem Hospital.
"The brutality of these cases are amazing," Katz said. "It is a time period I think people should not have to live through and the bravery that it takes to come forward."
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Police say Portilla's violent spree went on for nearly five months, and finally came to an end after a victim was found bleeding.
The victim told police what happened and now the Queens district attorney fears more women might have similar stories.
"If there are any other victims for Mr. Portilla, we are looking to talk to them," Katz said.
The court documents said Portillo would threaten the women if they tried to run or report what happened. In one case, he threatened to hurt the victim's family members.
Investigators are urging the public to come forward if they know anything or may have come across Portillo.
Anyone with information in regard to these incidents or with information in regard to this defendant is asked to call the NYPD's Rape Hotline at 212-267-7273 or the NYPD s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
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