Miami Beach police officers arrested a 30-year-old man on Tuesday after identifying him as a suspect in three separate sexual assaults that occurred in New York City. The incident, captured on body camera footage, highlights how local authorities in South Florida connected a man working in the tourist district to crimes committed thousands of miles away in the Big Apple.
The suspect, identified as Dereck Rivera-Deleon, is wanted by New York authorities for the rape of three women. The most recent alleged incident took place in October, where prosecutors say Rivera-Deleon sexually assaulted a 39-year-old woman at knife point inside Central Park. He is also accused of committing two similar rapes in the same park during 2023 and 2021.
Police stated that Rivera-Deleon was linked to the offenses through DNA evidence and victim identification. Despite the serious nature of the charges, the suspect was apprehended while wearing his work uniform. Video of the arrest shows officers shouting commands for him to get on the ground, with one officer exclaiming, "Get on the ground right now!" while another urged, "Do it now! Get on the ground!"
In the footage, Rivera-Deleon initially appears confused by the situation. He asks an officer, "Did I do something wrong, sir?" and adds, "I didn’t do nothing wrong." After being informed that he was being arrested pursuant to a warrant, he questioned his status, asking, "But I’m good? Like," before an officer told him, "You’re going to jail."
Officials indicated that Rivera-Deleon was employed at a fast-food restaurant in the heart of South Beach. During the arrest, one of the officers noted that he supposedly worked at a Burger King location in the area. This proximity to the police department raised questions about the suspect's confidence in his ability to avoid detection.
Christopher Bess, a spokesperson for the Miami Beach Police Department, addressed the media regarding the suspect's presence in the city. Bess stated that officers were unsure why Rivera-Deleon chose to travel to South Florida, noting that they did not believe he had been in the city for a very long time. He added, "We don’t know why he chose our city."
Bess further commented on the suspect's decision to work so close to the police headquarters. He described the situation as very brazen, pointing out that Rivera-Deleon had raped three women in the Central Park area, fled to South Beach, and then worked essentially across the street from the police department. Bess said this behavior showed that the suspect had little regard for the law or for his victims.
The arrest occurred just before noon on Tuesday. After being handcuffed and surrounded by officers, Rivera-Deleon walked across the street to the Miami Beach Police headquarters. From there, he was transported to the Miami-Dade County jail.
Following his booking in Miami, Rivera-Deleon is expected to be transported back to New York City. He will face charges in the Big Apple for the alleged crimes committed in Central Park over the past few years.
