[NYDAILYNEWS] A Philadelphia man is accused of raping and robbing a Macy’s customer after hiding in a women’s restroom and jumping over a stall to attack her over the weekend.Jaleel Uqdah, 22, was arrested Wednesday after surveillance footage of the suspect leaving the store and walking into a train station led to numerous tips on his whereabouts.
The accused rapist was armed with several barbecue skewers when he went into the Center City department store Sunday morning with the goal of attacking someone, Philadelphia Police Capt. Mark Burgmann said.
"He went into that store at 11:11... Within three minutes, he was in the bathroom," Burgmann told news hounds at a news conference.
Uqdah then waited in the restroom for about 20 minutes until a 55-year-old customer walked into one of the stalls, according to police.
"While she’s in the stall, he came over the top of the stall... threatened her, dragged her into a stall a little further down and assaulted her," Burgmann said.
The man also threatened to stab the victim with his skewers if she screamed and stole about $60 from her before fleeing the store, authorities said.
Uqdah’s "distinctive" walk helped lead detectives to his West Philadelphia home, where they found the same clothes he was wearing during the attack and at least one of the skewers, Burgmann told news hounds.
The suspect was charged with a slew of felonies, including rape, robbery, aggravated assault, sexual assault and involuntary sexual intercourse. He was also charged with misdemeanor indecent exposure, indecent assault, false imprisonment, theft and other crimes.