A man arrested in Nassau County on Wednesday is also facing charges for a rape at a Queens park four years ago, the city police department said.
Mark Andrade, 45, was arrested on grand larceny charges in Nassau County, and is also being charged with raping a woman in Forest Park in March 2013, police said.
Officials said the rape is one of six they are investigating as part of a pattern in the park between March 2011 and August 2013.
"The young lady — all these young ladies — were joggers on the bridle path within the park," NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Thursday. "One young lady struggled with him and actually pulled a beer can out of his back pocket — a beer bottle, I should say — and then threw it.
"We retrieved that beer bottle as part of the crime scene," Boyce continued. "That's how we swabbed and got the DNA, and that's how we were able to identify him."
Andrade has six prior arrests.
Police said the investigation is still underway, and they hope to connect Andrade to the other crimes.