Randall's Island bike path attack suspect charged with attempted murder, police say
A man is now charged with attempted murder following a recent attack on a Queens mother on Randall's Island, the New York City Police Department announced Friday.
Police say 30-year-old Miguel Jiraud was initially taken into custody for questioning and has since been charged in the brutal beating of 44-year-old Diana Agudelo.
Police sources say Jiraud, who lives at a nearby Randall's Island shelter, was previously convicted of rape in the Bronx and sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2013. Sources say he was on parole at the time of last week's attack and was wearing an ankle monitor.
"Earlier this week, we had a horrific assault on a woman on Randall's Island. She received immediate medical attention and is currently in the hospital fighting for her life," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Friday morning. "We had a very aggressive investigation, and we have identified a person who we believe is responsible for that assault."
Jiraud spoke as he was walked out of the 25th Precinct, telling reporters he is innocent.
"I'm the one that found her," he said. "Look at my hands. Does it look like I beat someone?"
What happened to Diana Agudelo?
Agudelo remains hospitalized after she was found bleeding and unconscious along a bike path last Friday. Her bike had also been stolen.
"He ripped away the light and the only thing I had in my life, and the only thing that was pushing me through college and helping me get through my whole life," Agudelo's daughter, Stephanie Rodas, told CBS News New York. "She was my world. She was my best friend. She was more than a mother to me. I remember the day the attack happened I did FaceTime [with] her. I FaceTimed her and I told her I loved her and I couldn't wait to see her."
Agudelo's family said she underwent major surgery, including the removal of a portion of her skull. Rodas said doctors are preparing her for the worst, but she has not lost hope.
"I know my mom is strong and I know my mom will not let you have the last laugh, and I know she will come out of this," Rodas said.
Agudelo's children say she left her job at the Museum of the City of New York but did not return home. A colleague from the facilities department later notified them about the attack.
"Someone that she worked with at work came over to our house because someone found her phone and they handed it in to where she works," Rodas said. "They knew something was wrong so they came to our house."
The museum is now fundraising to help the family.
"Diana is a devoted mother, and her household now faces significant challenges, including medical and living expenses," organizers said in a statement.
The Colombian Embassy said it is trying to help get Agudelo's sister in Colombia a humanitarian visa to come be with her in New York.
"We are providing help with the American authorities, the U.S. authorities, which is in Bogota, to help her with a humanitarian visa that will hopefully allow her to come here as soon as possible to be with the family," said Andres Mejia, the Colombian consul general in New York.
Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via their website.
