Crime & Safety

Forest Hills Rapist Has Likely Fled: Precinct Commander

Precinct Commander pledges to prevent another sexual assault from alleged serial rapist.

It's been nearly two months since the last incident involving . But that hasn't stopped local police from aggressively stepping up enforcement to prevent another sexual assault.

Deputy Inspector Christopher Tamola, commanding officer of the 112 Precinct, updated dozens of Forest Hills residents on the status of the investigation Wednesday night at the . 

A throng of residents, almost exclusively women, had come out to take part in a self-defense seminar that was a direct result of the sexual assaults that plagued the neighborhood earlier this summer.

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The last incident inside the 112 Precinct occurred on June 3, Tamola said. The last incident with the same suspect was reported just in the 110 Precinct on June 22.

"The good news is, he hasn't struck since then, the bad news is, we haven't apprehended him yet," Tamola said. "We had a few mistaken identities, and they came back negative, but he's on the run, we believe he's left town now."

Find out what's happening in Forest Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Tamola pointed to Ragis's appearance on Americas Most Wanted on July 20, saying that he believed the suspect had likely left town as a result of his appearance on the show.

The precinct commander also said that the precinct had stepped up patrols in areas where Ragis had struck in the past.

"We might not catch him, but we're going to keep him out of this neighborhood, he's not going to hit again [here]," Tamola said. 

For more information on the suspect in this summer's Forest Hills rape incidents,


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