Rasi Vendryes
A Queens man has been indicted on charges of kidnapping, assault and sexually abusing a 25-year-old woman during a violent attack inside a van in East New York, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced.
Prosecutors say the assault occurred along a stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue near Malta Street and Linden Boulevard, an area known as the Penn Track, where people often engage in sexual conduct for money.
“This was an exceptionally violent and degrading attack, and the allegations reflect a level of cruelty that is deeply disturbing. My office stands firmly with the victim, and we are committed to protecting people who are vulnerable to exploitation. We will use every tool available to hold the defendant accountable and to pursue any individual who uses such horrific violence and brutality to prey on at-risk individuals in Brooklyn,” Gonzalez said.
The defendant, identified as 48-year-old Rasi Vendryes of Queens, faces a multi-count indictment including second-degree kidnapping, first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree strangulation as a sexually motivated felony and second-degree robbery as a sexually motivated felony, among other charges.
Vendryes was arraigned in Brooklyn Supreme Court before Justice Adam Perlmutter and ordered held on $75,000 bail or a $150,000 bond. He is due back in court on Jan. 28, 2026.
According to prosecutors, the attack occurred around 3 a.m. on Dec. 31, 2023. The victim approached the defendant’s gray Sprinter-style van near Malta Avenue after the two agreed to meet. Once inside the vehicle, the defendant allegedly drove to a secluded location and brought the woman to the back of the van, where she noticed bleach and metal chains.
The defendant allegedly struck the woman in the head, knocking her to the floor. Prosecutors say he sat on her stomach, strangled her and repeatedly punched her while threatening to kill her if she tried to escape. During the assault, he allegedly sexually attacked her while continuing to choke her, causing difficulty breathing, blurred vision and numbness in her limbs.
Defendant’s van
The victim was eventually able to move to the front of the van, where she saw a large knife on the dashboard, prosecutors said. After the defendant allegedly locked the doors, the woman rolled down a window and attempted to scream for help. Authorities say the defendant then pushed her out of the van, leaving her partially unclothed in the street, and drove off with her purse, jacket and cellphone.
The woman later sought medical treatment and was found to have injuries consistent with the assault, including visible trauma and pain to her head and body. Her cellphone was later tracked using a location app to a Queens park near the defendant’s home, according to the district attorney’s office.
The victim reported the attack in August 2024 after encountering an NYPD Human Trafficking Team detective conducting outreach in the area. In September 2024, she again saw the defendant driving nearby, photographed his license plate and later identified him in a photo array, leading to his arrest.
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of the defendant is urged to contact the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Hotline at 718-250-2770.
The investigation was led by NYPD Detective Denis Regimbal of the FBI-NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the supervision of Lt. Amy Morin and Inspector Gary Marcus.
