Man arrested in Miami in Central Park rape investigation

Dereck RiveraDeleon was arrested in Miami while working at a Burger King, more than two weeks after a woman reported being raped at knifepoint in Central Park, the New York Police Department said Tuesday. Police say he will also be charged in connection with two earlier rapes reported in the park, in 2021 and 2023.

NYPD detectives assigned to the U.S. Marshals NYNJ Regional Fugitive Task Force took RiveraDeleon into custody with support from the U.S. Marshals Service, according to police. Authorities have not announced when he will be returned to New York or what charges he will face in the October case.

The NYPD alleges RiveraDeleon raped a 39-year-old woman on October 24, 2026. Police said she was walking in Central Park near East 67th Street and East Drive at about 8:30 p.m. when a man approached, displayed a knife and sexually assaulted her. The man fled, and the woman was taken to a hospital in stable condition, according to police.

Police released surveillance images and video as they searched for a suspect. The October attack prompted increased patrols throughout Central Park, according to the NYPD. Police have given limited public detail about the 2021 and 2023 cases or...