A parolee with almost twenty prior arrests was apprehended Thursday for allegedly attempting to rape and rob a woman in Downtown Brooklyn while impersonating an ICE agent, according to law enforcement and sources cited by the NY Post. 

Leon Howell, 43, reportedly snatched the iPhone of a 51-year-old woman. The violent incident occurred on Tuesday in the basement of a building located at the intersection of Montague and Henry Streets. The police were able to locate him using the victim’s Find My iPhone app, as noted by the sources.

Around 10:50 a.m., the woman was waiting for a taxi in the lobby of a building at Montague and Henry Streets. Howell allegedly approached her claiming to be an immigration officer, according to authorities. He then forced her into an elevator and took her down to the basement, police sources reported.

He reportedly struck her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground. Howell then allegedly removed her pants and underwear until she begged him to stop. The brutal assailant proceeded to take her necklace, cell phone, and purse before fleeing down Montague Street towards Henry Street, according to police. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of her injuries and is said to be in stable condition. 

Investigators suspect that the woman may have been targeted due to her ethnicity or race, sources added. Howell was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, third-degree burglary, and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, police said. With a criminal history that includes 20 previous arrests, Howell was recently paroled just last month after serving time for the 2017 strangulation of a stranger in Brooklyn, sources revealed.

#Clique, what are your thoughts?