U.S. Marshals Arrest East Harlem Child Rapist

New York, NY – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force (NY/NJRFTF), with assistance from the New York Police Department's (NYPD) Special Victims Unit (SVU), today apprehended a man wanted for the Jan. 6 rape of a 10-year-old girl he allegedly lured to his apartment in East Harlem.   

Drequan Howard purportedly met the victim through an online social application and quickly arranged for an in-person meeting in Harlem before attacking her in his apartment and fleeing on foot. 

After the crime was reported, the case was adopted by the USMS NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, working closely with NYPD’s SVU, Jan. 18. 

Investigators quickly identified the unknown perpetrator and conducted multiple interviews with the defendant’s family before negotiating a self-surrender at NYPD’s 25th Precinct through his family’s attorney early today. 

The defendant remains in state custody pending possible adoption of federal charges by the Southern District of New York.

Ralph Sozio, the U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of New York, praised the effort, and said, “The superb RFTF police work and joint effort with the NYPD’s SVU demonstrates our continued commitment to our responsibilities under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act to assist state, local, tribal and territorial authorities. There is no substitute for rapid, collaborative police work when it comes to tracking and apprehending perpetrators of this despicable crime. It is especially satisfying when we can bring closure to the victim’s family by arresting this defendant to face justice. I want to thank the men and women of the NY/NJ RFTF and the NYPD for their dedicated coordination in executing this mission quickly and without incident.”

The New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force began operations in April 2002 and was the first regional fugitive task force to become fully operational following the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. The NY/NJRFTF was the flagship that has allowed seven other regional fugitive task forces to be created across the country. With partnership agreements with over 90 federal, state, or local agencies and 13 fully operational offices, the NY/NJRFTF has successfully apprehended over 95,000 fugitives since inception.