Suspect Arrested In Brutal Kew Gardens Hills Sex Attack: NYPD

KEW GARDENS HILLS, QUEENS -- The man suspected of brutally beating and sexually assaulting a 52-year-old woman in Kew Gardens Hills was arrested in Columbia, South Carolina on Tuesday, police said.

Ronald Williams, 21, is en route to Queens after members of NYPD's Regional Fugitive Task Force cuffed him on a probation violation early that morning, said Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea. The arrest was hundreds of miles away from the brutal April 30 attack that left the woman in critical condition.

"Earlier this morning in a motel in Columbia, South Carolina we apprehended without incident the individual that we were looking for for the 107th (precinct) case," Shea said. "He’s being brought back as we speak on a probation violation."

The search for Williams has been on since police identified him as the suspect who violently attacked the woman at around 8 a.m. after she dropped off a child at school. She was found unconscious, her face and body badly battered, around 30 minutes later at the bottom of an outdoor stairwell near 72nd Road and 153rd Street, cops said.

"We find this to be an extremely violent and random attack that we wouldn't normally see at this time of day," NYPD Special Victims Division Capt. Elisa Anders said of the assault.

The woman was hurt so bad she was intubated and connected to a ventilator, leaving her unable to talk to investigators for several days, The Daily News reported. Cops don't believe she knew her attacker.

Police released Williams' name to the public on Saturday in connection with the assault, warning he was extremely dangerous and could attack again. A $10,000 reward was offered for information leading to his arrest.

Patch reporter Noah Manskar contributed to this story.

Lead photo via NYPD.