13-year-old taking out trash is raped by man in building stairwell, NY officials say

A 29-year-old man was indicted after being accused of raping a boy in a stairwell of a New York apartment building, officials said.

On Sept. 18, Ishmael Francis, met a 13-year-old boy online and started talking with him, according to an Oct. 21 news release by the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office.

Then Francis went to the boy’s Soundview apartment building and waited in the stairwell, prosecutors said.

When the boy left his apartment to take out the trash, Francis raped him in the stairwell, officials said.

Once the boy’s family started calling out for him, Francis stole the boy’s phone and left the building, officials said.

The teen ran back to his apartment, and the police were called before the boy was taken to New York Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, officials said.

Francis was identified by online messages provided by the victim, officials said.

He was arrested Sept. 24, prosecutors said.

Francis was indicted on charges of rape, sexual misconduct, endangering the welfare of a child and grand larceny, officials said.

He is scheduled to reappear in court Jan. 7, prosecutors said.

This story was originally published October 22, 2024 at 2:00 PM with the headline "13-year-old taking out trash is raped by man in building stairwell, NY officials say."