Brooklyn Man Tried To Rape Woman In Alley, Gets 17 Years In Prison: DA

BROOKLYN, NY — A 44-year-old Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for attacking and attempting to rape a woman at knife point back in 2021, prosecutors said.

Leroy Hatcher, 44, of Stuyvesant Heights, was sentenced in Brooklyn Supreme Court by Justice Danny Chun on Tuesday after pleading guilty to first-degree attempted criminal sexual act and first-degree sexual abuse.

On Feb. 6, 2021, the woman, who was 62 years old at the time of the attack, was walking to work near 482 Kosciuszko Street when Hatcher approached her, grabbed her hair and put his hand over her mouth, prosecutors said.

As the woman struggled to get away, Hatcher put a knife to her throat. He then pushed her to the ground, removed her pants and underwear, and sexually assaulted her, according to prosecutors.

Hatcher then fled the scene. Surveillance video recovered from multiple locations captured him in the area and a condom recovered from the alley had Hatcher’s DNA as well as the victim’s DNA, prosecutors said.

"This horrific and violent attack on an innocent woman shocks the conscience, and the depravity of the crime warrants today’s lengthy prison sentence," District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. "We are steadfast in our commitment to seeking justice for all victims of sexual violence and continuing the progress we have made Brooklyn safer for everyone.”