Man drives 100 miles to pick up girls then rapes them in remote area, NY sheriff says
A man accused of raping two girls in a remote area of a western New York town was arrested by U.S. Marshals, a sheriff has announced.
Ahmed A. Yaqoob traveled about 100 miles southwest from his hometown of Greece, New York, to pick up the 12 and 14-year-old girls in the city of North Collins on Oct. 17, according to Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia.
Yaqoob, 24, then drove the girls to the town of Concord, about a 15-mile drive southeast from North Collins, and sexually assaulted them, Garcia’s office said in a Nov. 18 news release.
Deputies began investigating the next day, according to Garcia.
Yaqoob was arrested Nov. 15 on charges of first-degree rape, second-degree rape and predatory sexual assault against a child less than 13, the sheriff’s office said.
Information regarding Yaqoob’s legal representation wasn’t immediately available.
After authorities launched their investigation, which involved the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service, a search warrant was authorized on Oct. 24, according to the sheriff’s office. Evidence was collected, leading to Yaqoob’s arrest.
The sheriff’s office didn’t specify what kind of evidence was obtained by law enforcement, or whether Yaqoob knew the girls.
The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force brought Yaqoob back to Erie County to be prosecuted following his arrest, the sheriff’s office said.
He appeared in court for an arraignment and is being held at the Erie County Holding Center on a $25,000 cash bond, according to the sheriff’s office.
“This comprehensive, multi-week investigation required diligence,” Garcia said in a statement. “We are appreciative of all our partner law enforcement agencies that assisted with this investigation.”
Suspected child exploitation can be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline.
Greece, where Yaqoob lives, is about a 75-mile drive northeast from Buffalo.
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