Mar. 10, 2023 By Bill Parry
An East Elmhurst man was indicted for kidnapping, raping, and assaulting three young women during a reign of terror across Queens last year.
Andres Portilla, 28, of 85th Street, was arraigned Friday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant on a 56-count indictment charging him with kidnapping in the first and second degree; predatory sexual assault; assault in the first and second degree; criminal sexual act in the first, second and third degree; rape in the first, second and third degree; sexual abuse in the first degree; criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree; and endangering the welfare of a child, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
According to the charges, in September 2022, Portilla invited one of his victims, a minor, to an apartment in Queens, where he held the 15-year-old runaway from Long Island captive and perpetrated both sexual and physical assaults upon her, resulting in permanent injuries. After vacating the apartment, Portilla held the girl captive in his car and continued committing sexual and physical assaults against her, often using a dangerous instrument.
While restraining the first victim inside his car on Dec. 16, Portilla lured a second victim, also a minor, into his vehicle on 64th Road and the service road of the Grand Central Parkway in Forest Hills, police said. Portilla locked the doors and allegedly said, “You’re not getting out of this car,” before he proceeded to rape her repeatedly in the back seat, according to the criminal complaint, while threatening the use of a dangerous instrument.
Portilla lured a third victim into his car on New Year’s Day in Long Island City under the guise of allowing her to use a phone charger. Portilla held her captive for days while sexually and physically assaulting her before threatening and releasing her. The victim reported to the police and underwent treatment at a local hospital.
After an intensive investigation, SVU detectives were able to identify both the defendant and the car he was driving. On the morning of Friday, Jan. 6, a manhunt and a vehicle chase ensued that culminated with his arrest near Gorman Playground, one block from his home on 85th Street.
“The brutality inflicted upon these vulnerable young women is unspeakable,” Katz said. “This indictment is the first step toward providing some measure of justice to the victims and their families.”
Justice Pandit-Durant ordered Portilla to return to court on April 11. If convicted, he faces
consecutive 25-years-to-life in prison sentences.