NJ man charged with murder after daytime attack near Times Square

🔻NJ man charged with murder in NYC
🔻Woman strangled in daytime attack
🔻Victim dies days later

A New Jersey man has been charged with murder, accused of strangling a woman in front of a midtown Manhattan hotel one afternoon last month.

New York City Police responded on Oct. 29 around 1:35 p.m. to a 911 call, about a 23-year-old woman attacked outside of 305 West 46 Street, just a couple blocks from Times Square, the NYPD said.

The victim, Leslie Torres, was picked up by EMS near Riu Plaza Hotel and was rushed to a hospital in critical condition. Torres had been living a block south, at a temporary housing shelter.

Prospect Park NJ (Google Maps, Canva, Townsquare Media Illustration)

She died of her injuries nearly a week later on Nov. 4.

Jaheem Warren was arrested and charged on Tuesday, while still in Manhattan, according to the NYPD.

Warren, a 33-year-old resident of Prospect Park, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree assault and two counts of strangulation, first-degree and second-degree.

According to NYPD crime statistics, the precinct has seen a more than 8% increase in most violent crimes this year to date compared to 2023 — but is more than 5% lower than in 2022.

Those stats include murder, rape, robbery, felony assault and grand larceny.

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