Police arrested 30-year-old Dereck Rivera-Deleon in Miami on Tuesday, linking him to a series of sexual assaults in New York City’s Central Park spanning five years, KCRA reported.
The arrest occurred while Rivera-Deleon was working at a Burger King in Miami, according to a post from the New York Police Department on X. The operation was conducted with assistance from the U.S. Marshals, KCRA reported.
Rivera-Deleon faces charges for three separate rapes in the landmark park. He is accused of raping a woman on Oct. 24, 2026, and faces additional charges for two rapes that occurred in 2021 and 2023, police said.
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.…
Investigators used a breakthrough in DNA evidence to connect the different crimes. While DNA from a 2021 assault did not match anyone in the system at that time, the DNA recovered from the Oct. 24 attack matched the profile from the 2021 case, Miami Beach Police said in a news release.
A trail of forensic evidence
The connection between the cases allowed detectives to reexamine previous assaults. Although no DNA was recovered during the 2023 assault, the victim in that case identified Rivera-Deleon as her attacker after the recent forensic links were established, NYPD sources said.
The 2023 victim had previously spoken with the attacker and knew part of his name, according to NYPD sources. This identification prompted special victims investigators to work with the Regional Fugitive Task Force to locate him.
Detectives determined that Rivera-Deleon had moved to South Florida, eventually tracking him to his place of employment in Miami Beach. Following the Oct. 24 attack, the NYPD Crime Stoppers had previously sought public help to identify a man who allegedly used a knife to assault a 39-year-old woman before fleeing on foot, KCRA reported.
The man wanted for the sexual assault of a 39-year-old woman in Central Park was arrested Tuesday while working at a Burger King in Florida — and will be charged in two additional cases in the iconic Manhattan greenspace. Dereck Rivera-Deleon, 30, was nabbed in Miami by the NYPD… pic.twitter.com/zIp2O1sajH
The suspect allegedly forced that victim into a wooded area during the assault, according to Miami Beach police.
Trends in Central Park safety
The arrests come amid shifting safety data for New York City. While overall crime in the city has been trending downward, reported rapes increased 3.7% year to date, according to the NYPD.
This specific case marks the fifth reported rape in Central Park this year. The park, a major destination for both tourists and local residents, has seen other violent incidents, including the death of a 63-year-old woman on Sept. 27 who was found with head trauma. A 36-year-old man was arrested and charged with her murder the following day, police said.
| Incident Year | Location | Nature of Alleged Crime |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Central Park | Sexual Assault |
| 2023 | Central Park | Sexual Assault |
| 2026 | Central Park | Sexual Assault |
Rivera-Deleon is currently being held in Miami-Dade County. He is scheduled for an extradition hearing on Thursday, officials said.
Suspect in Central Park Rape Arrested While Working at Miami Burger King 🚨 NYPD detectives and U. S. Marshals arrested Dereck Rivera-Deleon in Miami on Tuesday in connection with an October 24 rape in Central Park. Police say he was taken into custody while working at a Burger… pic.twitter.com/yUbUlVghnL
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