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Rupert Cruz, age 63, of Coram, was arraigned on rape and related charges in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, Sept. 21.
According to prosecutors, Cruz met the 32-year-old victim in June 2023 while they were both patients at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson. He reportedly offered her a ride home when they were discharged, and she accepted.
Once inside the car, Cruz allegedly gave the woman a drink from an opened soda can and began making sexual advances, which she rejected.
A struggle ensued and the woman called a friend, who later told investigators she could hear the woman screaming for help before the phone dropped in between the seats.
Cruz then picked the victim up from the passenger seat and forced her onto his lap, prosecutors said.
The victim told police she doesn’t remember anything after that and woke up the next morning naked in a wooded area near Bartlett Pond Park in Middle Island.
She recalled being in pain, with scratches and bruises on her body, red marks on her neck, and broken blood vessels in her eye.
She later traced her cell phone back to Cruz’ Coram home and reported the incident to police.
Cruz was arrested Friday, Sept. 8.
In court Thursday, he was arraigned on the following charges:
- Rape (felony)
- Predatory sexual assault (felony)
- Sexual abuse (felony)
- Strangulation (felony)
A Suffolk County judge ordered Cruz jailed without bail while his case proceeds. He is due back in court on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
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