(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Antonio Melendez Reyes, 59, a Salvadoran national, was indicted for Rape in the First Degree and other related charges, for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old child in an alley as she walked home.
“The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing,” said District Attorney Tierney. “A 16-year-old girl should be able to walk safely without being targeted, pursued, and brutally assaulted. My office will continue to vigorously prosecute defendants who pose serious threats to our community’s safety, especially our children.”
According to the investigation, on June 6, 2026, Melendez Reyes allegedly approached a 16-year-old girl as she was walking home on New York Avenue in Huntington. Melendez Reyes allegedly repeatedly asked the child for her phone number, which she refused to give him. Melendez Reyes then allegedly forced the child down an alley where he sexually assaulted her.
During the assault, the child was able to escape while partially unclothed, climbed a tall fence, and called 911. While she was on the phone with police dispatch, Melendez Reyes allegedly continued to search for the victim. When police arrived, they located Melendez Reyes and placed him under arrest.
On June 16, 2026, Melendez Reyes was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis, for the following charges:
· Two counts of Rape in the First Degree, Class B violent felonies;
· One count of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a Class D violent felony;
· Two counts of Rape in the Third Degree, Class E felonies; and
· One count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor.
Justice Wilutis ordered Melendez Reyes held on $500,000 cash, $1,000,000 bond, or $5,000,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case.
Melendez Reyes is due back in court on July 21, 2026, and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count. He is being represented by Scott Lockwood, Esq.
The United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer to take custody of Melendez Reyes following this prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ashley Moruzzi of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Jeremy Corcino of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Second Precinct.