Special victims detectives in the Bronx nabbed an alleged rapist hours after he violently attacked a woman on a street early Wednesday morning.

Gregory Williams, 21, who resided at the Men’s Employment Shelter on Westchester Avenue in Parkchester faces two counts of first-degree rape and other charges for the heinous attack on a 26-year-old woman near an apartment building at 1370 Virginia Ave., about a half-mile away from the shelter. 

Law enforcement sources said the sexual assault occurred at about 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 11, when Williams allegedly approached the victim from behind and punched her multiple times on the right side of the body. Police sources said the victim did not know her attacker.

After delivering the body blows, authorities reported, the suspect proceeded to rape the victim. Moments later, the perpetrator fled the location on foot, and was last seen heading southbound along Virginia Avenue, then turning eastbound on McGraw Avenue.

The incident was reported to the 43rd Precinct. EMS rushed the woman to a local hospital, where she was listed in stable condition.

During their investigation, sources familiar with the case said, detectives obtained video near the crime scene which allegedly showed Williams fleeing from the Virginia Avenue site back to the shelter on Westchester Avenue. 

Within hours, cops said, detectives located Williams and had him positively identified as the alleged rapist. The Bronx Special Victims Squad formally charged him at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon with first-degree rape, third-degree assault, third-degree sexual abuse and second-degree harassment.

Search continues for second rapist

Meanwhile, police in the Bronx are on the hunt for another rapist who attacked a woman inside an SUV on Thanksgiving Day in…

NYPD officers, elected officials and community members cut the ribbon on the new 40th Precinct station house in the South Bronx on Nov. 20.

According to the NYPD, the new location at 567 East 149th Street began serving residents on Nov. 18. Construction on the stationhouse began in 2018, and it was a long time coming.

“Today, we are fulfilling the pledge we made to the people of the South Bronx a decade ago,” said NYPD Interim Commissioner Thomas Donlon, who has since been replaced by Jessica S. Tisch, the permanent NYPD Commissioner.

“Our promise was to build a new, state-of-the-art NYPD facility that would be unlike any other precinct in New York City, and one that truly belongs to this community.”

The $85-million facility is the first station house to include a dedicated space for neighborhood events — a decision met with praise from local electeds. The station house, which is 45,260 square feet, also includes areas for officer training and for physical fitness.

“The addition of a community room reflects our commitment to creating spaces that will strengthen relationships between our police officers and community members,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark also emphasized the importance of bringing people into the station house on a regular, non-emergency basis. “Having a community room inside for residents to use for meetings and other events brings them into the stationhouse for positive reasons and is a great way to strengthen the relationship between cops and the people they serve,” she said. “We need to modernize all of our precincts.”  

In addition to its community focus, the facility was also designed for environmental sustainability, featuring a planted green roof and high-efficiency…

Amid a historic drought, the Fire Department of New York City (FDNY) has reported an unprecedented spike in brush fires across the city, with the Bronx bearing the brunt of the blazes.

Between Oct. 29 and Nov. 12, the FDNY was dispatched to put out a record-breaking 229 brush fires, with 67 of those occurring in the Bronx, 56 in Queens, 51 in Brooklyn, 24 in Manhattan and 17 in Staten Island.

Fire Commissioner Robert S. Tucker cautioned Bronx residents and all New Yorkers about the elevated brush fire risk, emphasizing the need for safety measures.

“Remarkably dry conditions in October and so far in November have resulted in a historic amount of brush fires over the last two weeks, and we need the public to remain vigilant,” said Commissioner Tucker. “With minimal rainfall, dry vegetation, and windy conditions, the risk of fast-spreading fires poses a real threat to our city and FDNY members.”

The sharp rise in brush fires is unprecedented. In a typical October, the FDNY responds to around 200 brush fires—based on the past three years. This year, that number was exceeded in just two weeks.

On Nov. 2, Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of Environmental Protection declared a city-wide drought watch following October, the city’s driest month on record. The drought conditions, paired with warmer temperatures, have left Bronx green spaces dry and vulnerable to ignition.

With over 2,000 acres of forested land, the Bronx is the city’s second greenest borough, according to the NYC Nature Map, creating more fuel for potential fires. On Nov. 4, the vast expanses of Van Cortlandt Park were ablaze, with thick smoke visible for miles. FDNY responded to four separate fires in the park simultaneously, utilizing drones to locate and contain flames, NBC New York reported.

That same day, Mayor Adams implemented a ban on outdoor…

Police in the Bronx are looking for the suspect who sucker-punched and stabbed a 14-year-old boy on board a bus last week.  

According to law enforcement sources, the victim was on the Bx8 bus near East Gun Hill Road and Bronxwood Avenue in Williamsbridge at around 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 when the suspect approached him and violently punched him twice in the face.

Police could not confirm if anything was said leading up to the attack. But after repeatedly pummeling the young straphanger, the perp allegedly said, “Oh, I like this,” authorities described.

The beating escalated when the suspect whipped out a knife and stabbed the boy in his left ear and right arm, law enforcement sources said.

The suspect managed to flee the scene in an unknown direction before officers from the 47th Precinct arrived.  

Meanwhile, police noted, the victim suffered a head laceration. EMS brought him to NYC Health and Hospitals/Jacobi in stable condition.

Police could not yet confirm a possible motive for the assault or whether the boy knew his attacker.

On Oct. 27, police released surveillance footage of the suspect at large. In the video, the suspect is seen on the bus wearing a hoodie, sunglasses and a medical mask.

So far, no arrests have been made, but the investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding the incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.