Thirty Years Later: Suspect Cuffed for String of Heinous Queens Attacks

October 17, 2025 NEW YORK, NY—After nearly three decades, a long-dormant investigation into a series of shocking sexual assaults in Queens has roared back to life with the arrest of a suspect. NYPD detectives have secured the extradition of the man they accuse of being responsible for five sickening rapes that terrorized a swath of southeast Queens in the mid-1990s.

Police sources confirmed that the breakthrough came from the Special Victims Division DNA Cold Case Squad, a specialized unit operating out of the Bronx. By re-examining evidence, including fingerprints and DNA collected from the crime scenes almost 29 years ago, investigators were able to generate a match that led them to 57-year-old Michael Benjamin.

From Queens to Georgia: Tracking the Suspect

Benjamin, a former Queens resident, had since relocated to Georgia. Local law enforcement apprehended him there and escorted him back to the Big Apple on Thursday to face charges.

Law enforcement sources allege that Benjamin targeted five women in the jurisdiction of the 105th Precinct—an area that includes St. Albans and Rosedale—between 1995 and 1997.

The Suspect's Denial and the Alleged Crime Spree

Despite the efforts of the cold case unit, the suspect vehemently maintained his innocence as Special Victims detectives escorted him from the NYPD Detective Bureau Bronx headquarters.

“I didn’t do this! I didn’t do none of this!” Benjamin reportedly cried out, his arms cuffed behind his back, as he was walked toward a vehicle bound for Queens Central Booking. “What fingerprints? I didn’t do this! I didn’t do this, up!” he hollered, continuing to cry out as the unmarked police vehicle pulled away.

The alleged crime spree began on July 25, 1995, in a home near 113th Road and 194th Street in St. Albans. Police allege Benjamin raped a sleeping 24-year-old woman and stole jewelry.

Just over a year later, on August 24, 1996, a similar attack occurred in Rosedale, near 140th and South Conduit Avenues. The suspect allegedly entered the residence through a glass sliding door, threw a jacket over the head of a 27-year-old woman in bed, and assaulted her. Sources say the perpetrator then searched the home for valuables, all while threatening the victim.

The assaults allegedly continued. On September 15, 1996, in Rosedale, Benjamin allegedly used a gun to force a 21-year-old woman into her backyard, searched her for money, and then took her inside to rape her in her bedroom after turning off the lights.

The final alleged attack detailed by police occurred on February 7, 1997, in Rosedale near 241st Street and 136th Avenue. Benjamin is accused of entering the home, forcing two 21-year-old women to remove their clothing, and then raping both victims—one in the bedroom and the other in the kitchen and bathroom—before allegedly going through their refrigerator and eating their food.

Police indicated that Benjamin had a prior arrest for a 1991 rape. He now faces five counts of rape.

Justice, Decades in the Making

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz credited the victims for helping police build the case, which led to the arrest.

"After several decades, this defendant will finally face charges of violently raping at least five women, some at gunpoint, between the years 1995 and 1997 in southeast Queens," Katz stated. "Although decades have passed, these cold cases were not forgotten. Thanks to the bravery of the victims, vital DNA evidence was gathered, which helped law enforcement identify the person responsible. It is never too late for justice, and I thank my prosecutors and the detectives for their work on this case."

The arrest underscores the impact of DNA cold case work in holding suspects accountable decades after a crime has occurred.