Two men in Coney Island allegedly tied to a violent rape under the boardwalk over the weekend were recent arrivals to the country, police sources said Monday.
Daniel Davon-Bonilla, 24, and Leovando Moreno, 37, were apprehended for the violent attack that occurred beneath the historic Riegelmann Boardwalk, off West 16th Street, at about 8:45 a.m. on Aug. 11.
Sources familiar with the investigation told amNewYork Metro that Davon-Bonilla was recently released after spending a year in jail for a sexual assault in a shelter in 2023.
According to law enforcement sources, Davon-Bonilla, who hails from Nicaragua, allegedly tackled the victim, a 46-year-old homeless woman, to the ground. He then held a knife to her neck and proceeded to rape her.
When the victim’s 34-year-old boyfriend attempted to intervene, cops said, Moreno — who hails from Mexico — allegedly struck the man with a pipe.
Officers from the 60th Precinct managed to track down Davon-Bonilla and Moreno at the scene, not long after the attack.
Meanwhile, EMS rushed the female victim to Coney Island Hospital for treatment of her injuries. Her boyfriend refused medical attention, police said.
Davon-Bonilla is charged with rape, assault, sexual abuse, menacing, and criminal possession of a weapon. Moreno is charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
The 60th Precinct had 11 rape cases year-to-date through Aug. 11, up from five tallied at the same point in 2023, according to the most recent CompStat report. Other sex crimes are also up slightly year-to-date by 5.7%, with 37 incidents reported — two more than the number recorded at the same point in 2023.
