Central Park Rape Suspect Arrested at Miami Burger King

Dereck Rivera-Deleon was taken into custody on November 10 while on duty at a Miami Burger King, according to police. New York Police Department detectives on a regional fugitive task force made the arrest with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Police said Rivera-Deleon will also be charged in connection with Central Park rapes in 2021 and 2023; they have not released details of those cases or explained how he was linked to them.

Investigators accuse Rivera-Deleon of sexually assaulting a woman, aged 39, inside Central Park on October 24. Police said the attack occurred at about 8:30 p.m., after a man approached the woman with a knife. She was taken to a hospital, and the suspect fled. Authorities later circulated surveillance images while searching for him.

The October assault prompted a search across the city and additional NYPD patrols throughout Central Park. Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the attack, saying New Yorkers should be able to walk safely throughout the city. Police said three of the five rapes reported in Central Park in 2026 have resulted in arrests.

Police have not said what charges Rivera-Deleon faces in the October case or when he will be returned to New York. Authorities had not clarified whether he had a lawyer.