Lynbrook Man Charged With Rape in Violent Hempstead Home Invasion

A Lynbrook man has been arrested and charged with rape after a violent home invasion and robbery in Hempstead Sunday night.

Wiseallah Hightower-Castro, 24, of Lynbrook, was arrested several days after his alleged participation in the incident.

According to Nassau County detectives, around 11 p.m., a 22-year-old male victim went to visit his 47-year-old mother at her home on Grove Street in Hempstead. Also present at the time was a 44-year-old woman.

While in the upstairs apartment, the male heard a knock at the door and answered it, police said. An unknown black male suspect, approximately 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, displayed a handgun. Behind the first suspect were two other unknown male black subjects displaying knives.

According to police, the second suspect was approximately 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, and the third suspect was approximately 5-foot-10, 170 pounds. All three subjects then pushed their way into the apartment.

The victim’s pockets were then searched by the suspects who removed three cell phones and an unknown amount of cash, police said. The first and second suspect then took the 44-year-old woman into the bathroom and sexually assaulted her.

According to police, the remaining suspect then brought the 22-year-old victim to an apartment in the lower portion of the house occupied by two 50-year-old female victims. The suspect kicked in the door and ordered the victims to lie on the floor. While one of the women had her hands tied behind her back, the second woman began to suffer a seizure. The suspect searched the victim's pockets, removing a cell phone and an unknown amount of cash.

Shortly afterward, a 49-year-old woman stopped at the house and was confronted by one of the suspects, police said. She was ordered to lie on the floor while a cell phone and an unknown amount of cash were removed from her pockets by the suspect.

According to police, the 47-year-old woman managed to escape by jumping out a window. She ran to a neighbor’s house and notified police. Realizing one of the victims was not in the house, all three subjects then entered a black four-door vehicle parked on Grove Street and fled the scene in an unknown direction.

The 44, 47 and 50-year-old female victims were removed to a local hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Hightower-Castro is being charged with rape in the first degree, criminal sexual act in the first degree, robbery in the first degree, robbery in the second degree, two counts of burglary in the first degree, criminal use of a firearm in the first degree, assault in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. He will be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on Thursday.