A man with a history of arrests was arrested on Thursday for attempting to rape and rob a woman in Downtown Brooklyn after pretending to be an immigration agent, according to police and sources.
Leon Howell, 43, allegedly assaulted a 51-year-old woman and stole her iPhone during the incident that took place on Tuesday in a building at Montague and Henry Streets. The victim’s Find my iPhone app helped the police track down Howell.
Howell, who was recently released on parole for the 2017 strangulation of a stranger, faces charges of first-degree rape, first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, third-degree burglary, and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
The woman was waiting for a cab in the lobby of the building when Howell approached her, claiming to be an immigration officer. He then took her to the basement where he assaulted her.
After punching the woman, Howell proceeded to remove her clothing until she begged him to stop. He then stole her belongings and fled the scene.
The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment and is in stable condition. Investigators suspect that the attack may have been racially motivated.
Howell has a criminal record with 20 prior arrests, including an assault in 2018 while he was in Rikers Island. In 2017, he was arrested for strangling a female stranger in a public bathroom.
He was sentenced to seven years in state prison for the 2017 incident and was recently released on parole. His parole is set to expire in 2029.
