“Justice was served today,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF). “The victim of this criminal's rape was left with physical and mental wounds, and the attack, which took place in broad daylight, left our community reeling. While a prison sentence does not even begin to undo the lasting damage done to the victim, her family and the community, we will all sleep better knowing that a monster will no longer be walking the streets. This sentence should also serve as a warning to other predators that sexual assault and rape will not be tolerated in this city.”

In September 2012, David Albert Mitchell, a 43-year-old drifter with a long criminal record that included multiple instances of sexual assault, brutally raped and robbed a 74-year-old bird watcher in Central Park near Strawberry Fields. The New York City Police Department quickly apprehended Mitchell and he was sentenced today, by Justice Bonnie G. Wittner of State Supreme Court in Manhattan to 30 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after 25 years.