NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A woman was sexually assaulted in the parking area of 270 North Avenue in downtown New Rochelle Thursday morning by a man with an outstanding warrant in New Jersey for a similar crime.
The victim told police that about 10:30 a.m. on Thursday she was was sitting in the parking lot of Chase Bank waiting for her friend. She said that a bald black man in a black suit wearing purple tie was standing on the sidewalk by exit of the garage when he motioned to her with his hand to come over to him. The victim said she she shook her head and said “no”.
She said the man then approached the car and asked her for her name.
Believing that the man was with the bank because he was wearing a suit, she gave him her name because she thought she might have been considered suspicious because she was looking around and waiting for her friend.
She said the man wrote her name down on a business card.
After the man had her name, he asked the victim for her phone number. She indicated she did not want to provide her phone number.
“Yes you do, I want to take you out,” said the man, according to police records.
The victim says she told the man twice she was married and showed the man her wedding ring. He said it did not matter and asked her to go to a party with him tonight. When she refused again, The man then allegedly put his head inside the car and grabbed “hard” both her breasts with both his hands, said something, and then left the scene in the direction of Huguenot Street.
Fearing that the man had gone into the Chase Bank, the victim closed her window and locked her doors. She remained in her car until the her friend arrived at which point both of them went into Chase Bank and told a teller who notified a manager.
Moments later, a police office canvassing the area located the suspect near the Halstead New Rochelle Metro North apartment building at 40 Memorial Highway.
The victim was able to make a positive ID of the suspect.
Police officers brought the victim to the window of the bank where she had an unobstructed view of the suspect. The victim confirmed that the suspect was the same person who had grabbed her breasts earlier this morning.
Matthew Izeh, 39, of the Bronx, NY was arrested and charged with Forcible Touching, an A Misdemeanor and Harassment-2nd, a violation.
An ID check of the suspect turned up an active warrant out of Teaneck, New Jersey for sexual assault.
New Jersey classifies criminal offenses differently than New York. The most serious offense is an “indictable offense” with less serious offenses a “disorderly persons offenses”. Indictable offenses are broken down into four degrees each associated with a potential sentence. For 1st and 2nd degree indictable offenses, New Jersey law requires a convicted person to serve 85% of the sentence before becoming available for parole or early release. First and Second degree indictable offenses include aggravated assault, robbery, kidnapping, carjacking, aggravated arson, burglary, extortion, manslaughter, and murder and sexual assault.
In New Jersey, Izeh was charged with Sexual Assault, Indictable Offense 2nd Degree and referred to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office which is handling the case. He faces a sentence of 5-10 years in prison if convicted.
Izeh was arrested and taken to police headquarters.
After he was Mirandized, Izeh told police a different story, claiming the victim had motioned for him to come over to her car and the began talking. Izeh said when the victim stated she did not want to go with him, they hugged and he left.
Izeh was remanded to the Westchester County Jail.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Online records for a Matthew Izeh indicate that a person with that name was arrested by the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office on August 3, 2014.
A man with the name Matthew Izeh has a rather bizarre Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/matthew.izeh