What to Know
- 30-year-old Ryan Bayard has been arrested in the home invasion rape of a 78-year-old NYC woman over the weekend
- The woman was alone in her home in Queens around 6 a.m. Sunday morning when the attack happened, police said
- Police are trying to determine how the man got into the woman’s home; they had no details on whether they knew each other previously
A 30-year-old homeless man has been arrested in the home invasion rape of a 78-year-old woman as she slept in her Queens apartment early Sunday, police said.
Ryan Bayard was hit with rape charges Monday, just a few hours after the NYPD released his name and photo. The Queens DA announced the charges, saying Bayard "showed not an ounce of mercy to this woman."
According to the charges, Bayard allegedly broke into the victim's Rosedale home at 6:45 Sunday morning. The woman awoke to Bayard standing over her, then he placed a pillow over her face, acting Queens DA John Ryan said. Bayard allegedly then raped the woman repeatedly, telling her "I like old ladies," according to the charges.
Bayard faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
It wasn't clear if he had any sort of prior connection to the victim, nor was information on a possible attorney for him available.
The woman was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was listed in stable condition, according to police.
