Man charged with raping woman during robbery at Brooklyn business: police

BOROUGH PARK, Brooklyn (PIX11) – Police have arrested the man accused of forcing his way into a business in Brooklyn and raping a woman during a robbery, officials said.

Mohammed Izzeddin, 23, of Brooklyn, is charged with rape, robbery and unlawful imprisonment in connection with the incident that occurred inside a business near 9th Avenue and 59th Street in Borough Park around 6 p.m. Saturday, according to the NYPD.

The survivor of the rape spoke to PIX11 News on Tuesday in hopes of it helping lead to an arrest in the case.

The woman said two men forced their way through an outer door of the business where she was with a couple of female coworkers. She said that she had tried to resist but could not.

Police were searching for two suspects in connection to a rape in Brooklyn on Dec. 23, 2023. (Credit: NYPD)

"When I opened the door, the bad guy hit me in the face very hard. I was afraid of hurting the other two girls, so I opened the door for him," the woman said.

The man also choked her, she said. She showed a reddish mark on her cheek where she said the man had hit her.

Her attacker, she said, had an accomplice. The pair robbed the women of the cash they had on hand, totaling about $300, she said.

At knifepoint, the accomplice told the other two women to stay silent, while his partner raped her, the woman said.

The woman also said that someone else had come to the door of the business while the crimes were underway, and the accomplice kept them all quiet.

The victim said she was traumatized over what happened and was struggling to sleep at night.

"I had not rested for 24 hours — not at all, on any day since because I could not calm down, and now I am slowly adjusting. I think I may see a psychiatrist next," she said on Tuesday.

The NYPD previously released images of the two suspects. Police are still searching for the alleged accomplice.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).