Investigators have arrested the man they say abducted and sexually assaulted a woman in Fishtown earlier this month. He also allegedly tried to assault another woman the same morning.
Manuel Cintron, 24, was arrested by US Marshals and Philadelphia Police on the 7100 block of Montour Street shortly after 6 p.m. Monday.
Cintron was arrested in connection to an incident that took place on May 1. Investigators said a 22-year-old woman was walking home from work along the 2000 block of E. York Street around 5:30 a.m. when Cintron approached her.
Cintron pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and forced the victim into a 90s Dodge or Chrysler minivan, drove her to a nearby area and sexually assaulted her inside the vehicle, according to detectives. The woman was let go at Almond and Boston Streets and the suspect fled the area.
Less than an hour before, at 4:20 a.m., police said Cintron tried to assault a woman along the 100 block of Ruscomb Street. Detectives said the man pulled a handgun and tried to force her into a parked vehicle, but she was able to fight him off and run away.
Special Victims Unit detectives released a detailed sketch of the suspect and surveillance video of the minivan driving through the neighborhood.
Cintron is charged with rape, sexual assault, indecent assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment, violation of the uniform firearms act-no license, and other offenses.
Jose Cintron, the man's brother, believes police have the wrong man.
"I don't think he would do something like that because my brother is kind and is not the kind of person that would hurt anybody," he told NBC10. "And definitely, he won't grab a girl and abduct her and put her in his car."
Cintron's bail is set at $1 million.
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Editor's Note: Philadelphia Police mistakenly identified Cintron as a suspect in another sexual assault that took place on April 18. This story has since been updated.
