Homeless migrant accused of raping woman at knifepoint in Coney Island

CONEY ISLAND, Brooklyn (PIX11) — A homeless migrant is accused of putting a knife to a woman’s throat and raping her near the Coney Island boardwalk while his accomplice allegedly attacked the victim’s boyfriend with a metal pipe when he tried to save her, police said.

David Davon-Bonilla, 24, and Leovando Moreno, 37, allegedly approached the 46-year-old woman near Surf Avenue and West 16th Street in Coney Island at around 9 p.m. Sunday, according to the NYPD. Bonilla allegedly offered the homeless woman coffee and food in exchange for sex, but she refused, police said.

Davon-Bonilla then allegedly held the Slim Jim to her throat and started choking her while saying, “I will kill you,” authorities said. The suspect then allegedly pulled a knife, took her clothes off and raped her, police said.

The victim’s 34-year-old boyfriend had left to get food and saw the attack when he came back. Moreno, acting as a lookout, then allegedly hit him with a metal pipe over the head when he tried to intervene, according to the NYPD.

The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment and the boyfriend refused medical attention at the scene. The couple is homeless and has been living under the boardwalk for about two weeks.

The suspects, who are also homeless, were arrested near the boardwalk shortly after the incident.

Davon-Bonilla, a migrant from Nicaragua, was charged with rape, assault, sex abuse, criminal possession of a weapon, and menacing, police said. The suspect has a prior arrest for sex assault for allegedly attacking a 34-year-old woman in Brooklyn last year, cops said. He pleaded guilty to felony assault in June 2024 and was released on time served.

Moreno, a migrant from Mexico, was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon, authorities said.

Their arraignments were pending on Monday.

Citywide rapes have increased by 11% this year compared to the same time in 2023, according to NYPD data.

Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.

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