Photo: NYPD
A man suspected in a series of rapes in New York City's Central Park was arrested in Florida on Tuesday (November 10), according to New York City police and federal authorities.
Police identified the suspect as Dereck Rivera-Deleon, age 30. He was taken into custody while working at a Burger King in Miami, as reported by an NYPD statement. Rivera-Deleon faces charges related to three separate rapes that allegedly occurred in Central Park in 2021, 2023, and most recently on October 24, 2026.
According to police, a 39-year-old woman was attacked at knifepoint around 9 p.m. on October 24 near East 66th Street and Fifth Avenue. She was reportedly pulled into a wooded area and assaulted. Following the incident, authorities released surveillance images of the suspect wearing dark clothing and carrying a dark backpack.
Rivera-Deleon was booked into Miami-Dade County Corrections on Tuesday, where he is accused of being an out-of-state fugitive and is awaiting possible extradition to New York, according to jail records. As of Tuesday, it was not clear if Rivera-Deleon had been assigned or hired an attorney.
The investigation remains ongoing.