Press Release

Faces Up to 25 Years to Life in Prison

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Charles Rowe was arraigned for allegedly raping a 69-year-old woman, attacking another woman, and committing other crimes including robbery and burglary at a Jamaica storage facility.

District Attorney Katz said: “We allege this man is a stone-cold predator who subjected two women to horrific violence and damaged and stole from a local business. He will be held to account.”

Rowe, 56, of West 110th Street, was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on charges of predatory sexual assault, rape in the first degree, criminal sexual act in the first degree, sexual abuse in the first degree, burglary in the third degree, petit larceny, robbery in the first and second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. Queens Supreme Justice Michael Yavinsky ordered Rowe to return to court on July 18. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

According to the charges:

– On the evening of March 13, Rowe grabbed a woman as she was leaving her storage unit at 168-11 Douglas Avenue, held a knife to her and threated to kill her. He pulled her into a bathroom at the storage facility, sexually abused her and raped her before fleeing. The victim was taken to the hospital where a sexual assault evidence kit was administered.

– On April 25, Rowe returned to the same storage facility late in the evening and entered a woman’s storage unit where he began rifling through her property. When the 61-year-old woman objected, Rowe said, “Let’s not turn this into a murder.” She struggled with Rowe, who had a metal object in his hand that he used to slash her neck and chest. He punched the woman and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. Rowe fled with property belonging to the woman. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

– Several hours later, in the early morning hours of April 26, video surveillance footage showed Rowe at the same storage facility prying open a door and removing it from its hinges. He was seen on the video leaving the location with a shopping cart that he did not have when he entered.

– On May 6, DNA evidence in the sexual offense evidence kit collected from the victim of the March 13 incident was matched to a DNA profile of Rowe. He was arrested May 13.

Senior Assistant District Attorney George Kanellopoulos, of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Eric C. Rosenbaum, Bureau Chief, Debra Lynn Pomodore and Brian C. Hughes, Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Special Prosecutions Division Joyce Smith.

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**Criminal complaints and indictments are accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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