Crime & Safety
Shirley Man, ‘Violent Predator,’ Indicted For Rape In Coram
The broad daylight attack on a walking trail was "a deeply disturbing, savage crime." - Suffolk DA Timothy Sini
CORAM, NY — A Shirley man, who Suffolk prosecutors say came up from behind a woman walking on a wooded path in Coram, then dragged and choked her until she passed out before he raped her, is now facing upgraded charges.
Jesse Diaz, 29, has been charged with first-degree rape and second-degree strangulation, both felonies, according to a two-count indictment unveiled Wednesday in Riverhead.
If convicted on the top count, Diaz faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini alleged the incident a “forcible rape by a virtual stranger” and that Diaz “had no previous relationship with the victim.”
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“This was a deeply disturbing, savage crime, and we will prosecute the defendant to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.
Suffolk police Acting Commissioner Stuart Cameron described Diaz as a “violent predator” who was apprehended just days after the attack due to the “outstanding efforts” of 6th Squad detectives.
“We will continue to work with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to ensure this suspect is held accountable for his actions,” he added.
The woman who was raped had been walking on a wooded footpath near the intersection of Route 112 and Skips Road, when Diaz allegedly came up from behind, and grabbed her, then dragged her by the throat, and strangled her until she briefly lost consciousness, and then he raped her prosecutors said.
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The woman was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital Medical Center for treatment of her injuries, which included broken blood vessels and bruising on her neck that is “consistent with strangulation,” according to prosecutors.
Diaz was later identified as a suspect following an investigation by detectives, and the victim positively identified him in a photo array, prosecutors said.
He is being held without bail at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead.
Diaz is being represented by the Legal Aid Society, which does not comment on cases, and is due back in court on July 13.
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