Suspected gang member accused of exposing himself, robbing Manhattan assistant DA
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) -- A 25-year-old man was arrested for allegedly robbing a Manhattan assistant district attorney in the lobby of her Midtown building.
Police say Brandon Simosa confronted the 38-year-old victim in the hallway of her building on West 44th Street around 2 a.m. Sunday.
Authorities say he grabbed the victim's purse, cellphone and bank card before exposing himself.
Police were able to track the phone and eventually arrest him near a hotel on West 45th Street and Eighth Avenue on Tuesday, leading authorities to believe the suspect is a migrant.
Officials say he was in possession of drugs and about $525 worth of stolen Adidas clothing.
Simosa is a suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which is the same group that has preyed on people in Times Square and Central Park.
He was charged with criminal possession and sexually motivated robbery -- among other charges.
He has been arrested six times in the last five months for similar crimes.
It is believed he arrived in the United States in February 2023.
The Bronx District Attorney's Office will prosecute the case due of the conflict of interest of the victim being an assistant district attorney in Manhattan.
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