A Philadelphia man was arrested and charged with raping a customer inside a Macy’s restroom.
Jaleel Ugdah, 22, was arrested Wednesday after surveillance footage showed the rape suspect leaving the store and walking into a train station.
The incident happened on Sunday morning at the Center City Macy’s. The accused rapist entered the women’s restroom and hid in a stall.
“He went into that store at 11:11… Within three minutes, he was in the bathroom,” Philadelphia Police Capt. Mark Burgmann told reporters at a news conference Tuesday.
Burgmann said the suspect, who was armed with two BBQ skewers, waited in a stall for 20 minutes until a 55-year-old woman entered the restroom.
Uqdah reportedly jumped over the top of the stall and accosted the woman.
“While she’s in the stall, he came over the top of the stall… threatened her, dragged her into a stall a little further down and assaulted her,” Burgmann said.
The suspect threatened to stab the woman with one of the skewers if she screamed. He stole $60 from her before leaving the store.
Surveillance footage aired on local news broadcasts prompted numerous tips that led police to Uqdah.
Uqdah’s “distinctive” walk helped lead detectives to him, Burgmann told reporters.
Uqdah was charged with rape, robbery, aggravated assault, sexual assault and involuntary sexual intercourse. He was also charged with misdemeanor indecent exposure, indecent assault, false imprisonment, theft and other crimes, the NY Daily News reported.
Department store security staff are trained not to stop men from entering women’s restrooms due to transgender laws.
Women who fear being raped in women’s restrooms are told to get over their fears, and that they are “on the wrong side of history.”
