Queens serial rapist from 1990s arrested in Georgia after fingerprints breakthrough: sources

A mysterious Queens attacker dating back to the 1990s has been arrested in Georgia, accused of raping five women – including one he raped twice – during a year-long period in which he broke into the homes of his sleeping victims and covered their faces with a pillow or sheet, law enforcement sources said.

The suspect, Michael Benjamin, 57, was flown to the city Thursday morning and is expected to be arraigned in Queens State Supreme Court by the end of the day.

His DNA, taken from one of the crime scenes, was pre-charged years ago — a step prosecutors took to prevent the statute of limitations from running out — until police could figure out who he is.

That break occurred in 2024, when a fingerprint from one of the crime scenes was retested using technology that was not available at the time of the attacks, sources said.

The print belonged to Michael Benjamin, according to sources.

Police were later able to obtain his DNA in Georgia, where he lives, sources said.

On August 1, according to sources, Benjamin was arrested in Georgia by the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office.

The Daily News of August 10, 1992 reported that the frenzy – centered in Laurelton, Queens – had begun the previous August. The rapist always struck between 1:30 a.m. and 5 a.m., entering each victim’s home through a window.

The victims – aged between 21 and 42 – were also robbed of cash and other valuables. In some cases, police said at the time, the attacker tied the victims’ hands and held some sort of weapon around their necks.

The last victim, aged 41 at the time, was raped on August 7, 1992, almost a year after being the attacker’s first victim, on August 22, 1991.

“I told you I’d be back,” the man told her icily after the second rape, she told police, The News reported.

The case was investigated by NYPD Special Victims Unit detectives assigned to cold cases involving DNA.

A month before the spate of alleged rapes, Benjamin was convicted of attempted rape for a July 1990 incident and received five years of probation.

He is a registered level three sex offender, according to New York State records.