Brooklyn man charged with sexual abuse of 81-year-old in home invasion

November 2, 2022 Rob Abruzzese

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. Eagle photo by Mary Frost

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CROWN HEIGHTS — A 50-year-old man from Crown Heights was arraigned in state court on Tuesday after he was indicted and charged with sexual abuse and burglary as a sexually motivated felony after he attacked his 81-year-old neighbor in a home invasion.

Thomas Johnson, now 50-years-old, was charged with sexual abuse, burglary as a sexually motivated felony, assault, strangulation, and other related charges when he appeared before Kings County Supreme Court Justice Jill Konviser on Tuesday.

Johnson was ordered to be held without bail and will return to court on December 1.

“The violent and brutal assault of an elderly woman allegedly perpetrated by this defendant shocks the conscience and our prosecutors are committed to seeking justice and accountability,” said District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “This kind of depraved conduct will not be tolerated, and our thoughts remain with the victim as she recovers from this horrifically traumatic crime.”

On September 27, 2022, at approximately 3 A.M. in Crown Heights, Johnson allegedly broke into his 81-year-old neighbor’s apartment, according to the District Attorney’s Office. When a noise woke up the 81-year-old, she went to figure out what was happening and that is when Johnson found her in the kitchen and allegedly strangled her until she was unconscious.

The DA’s Office said that the 81-year-old eventually regained consciousness and crawled towards her bedroom when the defendant once again began to strangle her and she lost consciousness a second time.

Finally, she woke again, this time bleeding from the mouth and nose, and called for help,” prosecutors said. The upstairs neighbors, relatives of the defendants, managed to hear her and called 911.

The 81-year-old victim suffered pain to her neck, had difficulty breathing, bloodshot eyes, facial swelling, a dislocated jaw, was bleeding from her mouth and nose, and suffered injuries to her genitals, according to prosecutors.