By Gus Saltonstall
A man accused of raping a woman in Central Park last month was taken into custody in Florida on Tuesday by New York City Police Department detectives, police announced on social media.
The detectives, with the support of the United States Marshals Service, took Dereck Rivera-Deleon into custody while he was working at a Burger King on Tuesday in Miami, Florida, for allegedly raping a woman in Central Park on October 24, 2026, police said.
He will also be charged with two rapes that happened in Central Park in July of 2021 and October of 2023, according to the NYPD and reporting by The New York Times, but police did not provide additional details on those attacks.
NYPD detectives assigned to the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force with support from @USMarshalsHQ partners took Dereck Rivera-Deleon into custody today while he was working at Burger King in Miami for allegedly raping a woman in Central Park on October 24, 2026. Rivera-Deleon will also be charged with two rapes that occurred in Central Park in 2023 and 2021.
The NYPD will stop at nothing to get dangerous criminals off our streets.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) November 10, 2026
In the most recent attack, a man approached a woman around 8:30 p.m. on October 26, 2026 near 66th Street and Fifth Avenue, and threatened her with a knife, police said. He then raped her within a wooded area of the park, police said.
NYPD did not specify what charges Deleon will face from the most recent attack, and when he would be brought back to New York.
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.
I hope he gets life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Why?????
Because sex crimes are violent, life altering, and the perpetrators cannot be “cured” or “rehabilitated.” How can you even ask such a question?! Shame on you!
“The NYPD identified the suspect as Dereck Rivera-Deleon. They say he’s connected to three Central Park rapes in the last five years”
3 times – in 2021, 2023 and this year!
Would love to know if he had been arrested before.
Check out the NY Times article. It doesn’t appear that he had been arrested, but he was a known suspect. It makes no sense. Three women had to be assaulted before anything was done.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/10/nyregion/nyc-central-park-rape-arrest.html
This serial rapist needs to be in prison for the rest of his life. Anything less is a slap in the face to his victims and to women in general. He has repeatedly proven he is incapable of living in a civilized society.
And please let’s not waste time and resources on silly “rehabilitation” fantasies.
The punishment should fit the crime and include an element of permanent deterrence
Fully agree, but this is America so not gonna happen.
I agree, but it would be no better in other justice systems. Rape is essentially decriminalized in western European countries, with it barely getting a slap on the wrist. For all of its faults, America does occasionally dole out long sentences.
This guy obviously needs a lot of therapy, twice a month at least. He will also need housing and employment so that he can re-integerate into the community.
Who will step up and sponsor this young man, who has so much potential, and who just needs another opportunity.
I hope that the Mayor will show compassion and fund this initiative generously.
Juan, is this your attempt at sarcasm?
In order to keep other women safe, there’s NO place outside of a secure facility for this person.
Why, are the politicians being sarcastic when they talk about more money, more “programs,” more “restorative”, more “services,” and more “victims” who *happen* to keep committing heinous crimes?
And yet, when our money flows in their and their friends’ pockets, it gets darn serious.
Unfortunately he probably has a lot more of these scattered about and not necessarily in NY. Just put him under Attica.
How did the NYC authorities not inform the public they were looking for serial rapist for 3 years??
I don’t know any details about this crime and I didn’t read the NY Times article.
My guess it’s his brazen snatching the victim from 5th avenue in the 60s that made it easier for the police to ID him with all the security cameras on residential buildings. He is likely already in the system and the trail is easily followed.
The two earlier crimes might have started inside the park? Which brings us to the point of why don’t we have cameras inside CP? We can start with a few low cost HD cameras on the park drive below 72nd street. We don’t have to guess what is actually happening during conflicts between all the different users on chaotic days.
Maybe no one knew it was the same guy. How did YOU know?
Hmm. Are you one of those very smart defund the police advocates ?
This is such great news – especially since he’d left the state. Kudos to the Florida police for nabbing him. I’d love to know more details. Well done NYPD 🙂
Federal charges now, also?
Sounds like good work by the NYPD to locate him in Florida. They received a tip?
ELITE police work by NYPD
Is he one of the “New Yorkers”, “neighbors” and “community members” that our elected officials are always talking about?
Why so many obnoxious, unhelpful, and sarcastic comments here? How about simply kudos for the NYPD for nailing this guy out of state!? It’s not like these perps leave a trail for anyone to follow. It takes a lot of hard, diligent work to find a needle in a haystack. Why do so many people think someone can simply go out and arrest someone else without enough evidence to convict? For cryin’ out loud, there are crime shows on TV, 24/7, for decades to explain it.
You find simple questions obnoxious and unhelpful? No wonder.
Sam is right, NYPD did a good job catching this guy, the snark from Bill and others is just obnoxious
I said nothing about the NYPD. I respect and support NYPD
Honestly I find your comment obnoxious, Sam. Bill spoke his opinion with which I agree, but you attacked him.