Man Charged in Attempted Rape of Elderly Inwood Resident

Investigators say Yahiness Holden pursued the woman inside her residential complex, close to Vermilyea Avenue and West 204th Street, shortly before 9 a.m. on October 26. At her apartment door, he allegedly exposed himself and tried to force his way inside. The woman fought him off by closing the door, and he fled on foot, according to authorities.

The woman suffered minor injuries and received medical attention at the scene. Authorities said Holden was located aboard an E train heading north in the Kew Gardens area of Queens on November 7 and taken into custody. He was later questioned by the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit in Manhattan.

Holden, 33, faces charges that include trying to commit rape, assault, stalking, attempted sexual abuse and two burglaries. He was awaiting arraignment after being charged on November 8.

Authorities’ records describe prior arrests involving allegations including forcible touching, an assault on a subway passenger and an attack on another person in a transit holding area. In a separate 2025 arrest, he was accused of masturbating in front of a woman at a Bronx bodega.