Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau announced today the indictment of a 39-year-old Queens man for raping a woman he abducted from a

The defendant, LUIS ZAMBRANO, 39, was indicted on charges of kidnapping, rape and sexual abuse.

The investigation leading to today’s indictment revealed that in the early morning hours of March 22, 2009, a 23-year-old woman was at Marquee, a night club located at 289 10th Avenue, where she became intoxicated and passed out on a couch. ZAMBRANO approached the woman and began kissing her before getting her up from the couch. ZAMBRANO dragged the victim, who was incapable of standing or walking unassisted, to a staircase. There he lost hold of her and she fell headfirst into a wall and crumpled on the floor. ZAMBRANO picked the victim up and ultimately carried her out of the night club and into a cab that took them to his car three blocks away. He then drove the incapacitated victim to his apartment where he sexually assaulted her twice. The victim regained consciousness during the second assault and had no idea where she was nor who the defendant was. She was missing her coat and personal belongings.

The victim was treated at a hospital after returning to Manhattan.

ZAMBRANO was indicted on one count of Kidnapping in the Second Degree, a class B violent felony, one count of Kidnapping in the Second Degree as a Sexually Motivated Felony, a class B violent felony, two counts of Rape in the First Degree, a class B violent felony, and Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a class D violent felony. A class B violent felony is punishable by up to 25 years and a class D violent felony is punishable by up to 7 years, both in prison.

The defendant, who was arrested on June 25, 2009, is scheduled to be arraigned today in State Supreme Court, Part 1.

Assistant District Attorney Martha Bashford is handing the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Lisa Friel, Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit. The case was investigated by Detectives Alan Sandomir and Ray Astacio of the Manhattan Special Victims Squad under the supervision of Commanding Officer Lieutenant Adam Lamboy and the Chief of the Special Victims Division, Deputy Chief Theresa Shortell. Senior Investigator Edward Tacchi, of the District Attorney’s Investigations Bureau, also assisted in this investigation under the supervision of Chief Investigator Joseph Pennisi.

Defendant Information:

LUIS ZAMBRANO, 5/17/1970
131-20 14th Avenue
Queens, New York

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