Man charged with raping young doctor in Philadelphia's upscale Rittenhouse Square neighborhood

PHILADELPHIA, June 24 (UPI) -- A man has been charged with raping a young doctor after forcing her into her apartment in Philadelphia's upscale Rittenhouse Square neighborhood.

Police said Milton Mateo Garcia, 28, and three of his roommates were arrested Monday. After several hours of questioning, he was charged with rape, kidnapping, aggravated assault and robbery, and the other men were released, said Capt. John Darby, commander of the Special Victims Unit.

The victim, 26, told police she was returning home from an evening with friends just after midnight Saturday, when a man came up to her on the street and forced her to let him into her apartment. He sexually assaulted her, left and then, realizing he had forgotten his bag, came back and attacked her again.

The crime sent shock waves throughout the city because violent crime is rare in the Rittenhouse Square area, located in the center of Philadelphia.

Video from surveillance cameras showed a man locking his bicycle to a tree, following the woman and then attacking her from behind.

"This appears to have been a crime of opportunity," Darby said. "We believed that this male followed this woman for some distance and then positioned himself at a point where he could intercept her path."

Detectives traced the victim's cellphone to South Philadelphia but could not pinpoint its location. It was recovered in Mateo Garcia's apartment.