Greenburgh Police Report: Rapist Caught and Car Thieves Plague Edgemont Homes

An illegal immigrant has been arrested for forcible rape after he met three escorts on the website Backpage.com and assaulted them at hotel rooms in Westchester. In the latest incident on Sunday March 3, police were called to La Quinta Hotel on Saw Mill River Road in Greenburgh about a sexual assault. The 19 year-old victim was a Pennsylvania resident who had placed an ad in the "Escorts" section of the website and arranged to meet the respondent at the hotel.

When Silvio Raul Illescas, age 40 of Elmsford came to the room he raped the woman at knifepoint. Using phone records, police were able to locate Illescas on Monday and charged him with two counts of rape in the first degree (Class B- Felony) for the rape on March 4 as well as another assault that occurred on February 13. He is being held at the Westchester County Jail without bail.

In the 2/13 incidient, Illescas has been charged with raping a 29 year-old woman from Washington state and holding her for five hours before fleeing. Then on February 23, Illescas allegedly attempted to rape a woman from California in a Doubletree Hotel in Tarrytown. He slashed the woman's neck but evaded the police.

Greenburgh Police believe that prostitutes are travelling to Westchester for liaisons here because there is a wealthy client base. The women place ads in Backpages.com and arrange multiple appointments at Westchester hotels. According to police, the going rate is $200 per hour.

Thefts at Sunningdale: Two Edgemont residents reported that their iPhones were stolen from their bags during a bar mitzvah at Sunningdale Country Club on Underhill Road in Scarsdale on Saturday March 2. The guests had left their seats to observe the festivities and when they returned to their seats the two iPhones were gone.

Car thieves target Edgemont and Hartsdale:

Thieves swept through Edgemont on the night of February 25 -26 and entered man cars. Here's the report:

Overnight on 2/25-2/26, two cars parked in a Hadden Road driveway were ransacked by thieves who made off with $600 in cash and a hand-held power drill valued at $300.

A Honda Civic and a Toyota Sienna parked in the driveway of a Kempster Road home were entered overnight on 2/25 – 2/26. $20 in cash was stolen.

On the morning of 2/26, an Audi Q5, parked in the driveway of a Cotwold Way home was entered. Missing was $10 in quarters, and an iPod.

An unlocked Lexus parked in the driveway of a Withington Road home in Edgemont was entered overnight on 2/26 – 2/27 and change was stolen. There was no sign of forced entry.

On Campden Road an unlocked 2012 BMW X3 was entered sometime on 2/25 or 2/26 and a pair of broken sunglasses, valued at $800 as well as change was stolen. A Toyota Highlander parked on Campden Road was entered overnight 2/25-2/26 and $20 was stolen. A Land Rover, also on Campden was entered that same night – and thieves made off with $160 in cash, an Apple nano, a pair of sneakers valued at $200, an Apple iPad valued at $800 as well as the $100 cover.

Thieves were also busy in Hartsdale.

A 2008 BMW 328I, valued at $20,000 was stolen from a garage at 45 East Hartsdale Avenue sometime on 2/24 or 2/25.

Overnight on 2/26-2/27 a 2009 Acura parked in an indoor garage on East Hartsdale Avenue was vandalized. On Wednesday morning 2/27, the car's owner found that all four wheels were missing and the car was resting on folding chairs and an aluminum ladder. The driver's side window was smashed and there was damage to the hood as well. An attempt was made to remove the tires from another car at that same location that night. The bolts on the passenger side tires of a 2006 Acura were also removed, but the tires remained.

Inside Job at Sunshine Bagel: The owner of Sunshine Bagels on Central Avenue in Hartsdale reported that an employee had stolen $350 from the cash register on Saturday night March 2. The owner reported that the incident had been captured on videotape and wished to press charges.