DISTRICT ATTORNEY VANCE ANNOUNCES GUILTY PLEA IN BRUTAL ATTACK ON WOMAN IN HELL’S KITCHEN BAR

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the guilty plea of MBAREK LAFREM, 32, relating to an attack on a woman in the restroom of a bar in Hell’s Kitchen. The defendant pled guilty to Assault in the First Degree and Attempted Sexual Abuse in the First Degree. The defendant is expected to be sentenced on September 1, 2011.

“The attack on this woman was quick and brutal,” said District Attorney Vance. “The victim was severely and savagely beaten by a stranger. Thanks to swift detective work by the NYPD, the defendant, who had fled the scene immediately after the attack, was apprehended, and this Office’s Sex Crimes Unit was able to successfully prosecute the case.”

According to today’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on March 11, 2010, at approximately 2:15 a.m., LAFREM entered the women’s restroom of the Social Bar, located on Eighth Avenue between West 48th and 49th Streets, and punched a 29-year-old woman numerous times. The victim sustained multiple injuries, including a laceration across her forehead that required multiple stitches, as well as a fractured skull, broken eye bone, broken nose, broken jaw, and bruising throughout her body. The victim was found by another bar patron lying unconscious on the bathroom floor with one pant leg completely removed and the other dangling off of her ankle. Her pants were inside out.

Assistant District Attorney Shanda Strain handled the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kerry O’Connell, Chief of Trial Bureau 80, and Assistant District Attorney Lisa Friel, Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit. Trial Preparation Assistant James Curley assisted with the investigation.


Defendant Information:

MBAREK LAFREM, D.OB. 3/26/79
Norwood, PA

Convicted:

Assault in the First Degree, a class B felony, one count
Attempted Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a class E felony, one count

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