Two Men Apprehended In Connection With Multiple Sex Crimes Around Riverside Park

This summer, several women fell prey to what seemed to be random sex crimes in or around the serene expanse of the UWS’s Riverside Park. Now, two men--Luc Tatchiem Noubissi (aged 39) and Jhonatan Cortes-Lopez (aged 21) --have been hit with charges including attempted sexual assault and forcible touching for the combined incidents.

On July 21, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig held a press conference to announce the arrest of what he called “sexual predators.”

The first alleged incident was described to the West Side Spirit by the NYPD, and came before a string of incidents in July that were highlighted during the press conference. On the evening of June 25, Cortez-Lopez allegedly began catcalling a 21 year-old woman while on his bicycle near 518 W. 111th St. The woman ignored Cortez-Lopez before he reportedly began following her. He eventually jumped off his bike and groped her chest. Cortez-Lopez fled the scene and the woman reported the incident to the 16th Precinct at 6:45 p.m.

Upon his arrest, Cortez-Lopez was charged with forcible touching and sexual abuse. Cortez-Lopez allegedly continued his spree of sexual violence barely a month later, now targeting two distinct women within Riverside Park on July 18.

He first groped a 19 year-old woman’s chest between W. 79 St. and W. 80th St., but fled the scene by the time police responded to the 911 call she made around 4:50 p.m.

It appears Cortez-Lopez remained in or near the park, because he reportedly attacked a 38-year-old woman just before 10 p.m. Riding his bicycle yet again, Cortez-Lopez reportedly disembarked and shoved the woman to the ground before tearing off her shorts and exposing himself to her.

For the attacks that occurred on July 18, Cortez-Lopez faces a multitude of charges, including forcible touching, attempted rape, robbery, sex abuse, and assault.

Noubissi allegedly perpetrated the fourth sex crime on July 20. According to NYPD detectives, the 39-year-old tackled a woman walking near the 59th St. border of the park at around 4 a.m.

She attempted to call 911 before Noubissi reportedly snatched her phone away and fled the scene. During the assault, the woman succeeded in removing a chain Noubissi was allegedly wearing, which she handed over to responding police officers.

Essig stated that detectives effectively utilized both the chain and a detailed description of Noubissi’s clothing to lead to his successful arrest. Upon searching his apartment, police found the woman’s stolen phone and a red t-shirt he was allegedly wearing at the time of the crime.

Similarly to Cortez-Lopez, Noubissi has been charged with attempted rape, robbery, sexual abuse, and assault.