An ex-con busted for choking a woman to death stalked the victim around the streets of Times Square for nearly a half hour before he threw her to the ground and pressed down on her neck for more than 90 seconds, prosecutors charge.
Jaheem Warren was extradited Tuesday to Manhattan following his arrest in New Jersey and was charged in the murder of Leslie Torres, 23.
Torres was rushed unconscious to Mount Sinai Hospital early Oct. 29.
Police called to the hospital went back to where Torres had been picked by medics, outside the Hotel Riu Plaza New York Times Square, and found surveillance video showing a man dragging her in front of the W. 47th St. hotel.
Torres, who lived in nearby supportive housing, the Longacre Stabilization Bed Program, died at the hospital Nov. 4, with court papers indicating she had little or no brain activity following the assault.
The NYPD used facial recognition technology to develop a lead on the suspect, according to police sources.
A Madison, N.J., police detective told the NYPD that he recognized the man in the video as Warren, 33, whom he had arrested on a minor charge on Oct. 28. Warren was wearing the same clothes when he was arrested in New Jersey as on the day of the Manhattan attack, court papers say.
Warren was later indicted by a Manhattan grand jury.
According to court papers, Warren first went up to Torres and W. 45th St. and 8th Ave.
They briefly spoke and she walked off, with Warren allegedly stalking her for about 25 minutes over the course of a number of blocks before attacking her, throwing her facedown on plastic bags on the sidewalk filled with hotel linens. She tried in vain to break free, flailing her legs as Torres lay atop her and pressed down for more than 90 seconds on her head, neck and shoulders, court papers say.
He was allegedly on top of Torres for more than two minutes before leaving the scene.
Neighbors described Torres as soft-spoken and likeable. They said she enjoyed going on walks but seemed afraid of men.
“She was to herself,” said one fellow resident of the supportive housing program, Johnnie Wilcox, 67. “She always walked. She moved like a cat. Very quiet. To me she’s like a lost angel — lost her life.
A 42-year-old man who works in the area called Torres “totally harmless” and said Warren should get “the lethal injection.”
“A long time [in prison] isn’t enough,” the man added.
Torres, he added, enjoyed her walks.
“You know, who knows, maybe to get a load off, something on her mind, maybe just to get some fresh air, who knows,” he said. “Just to mind her business. It’s really sad. My heart goes out to her family.”
The suspect is being held without bail as he awaits trial.
