The man accused of hunting down and raping a young doctor inside her Rittenhouse Square apartment was set to have his case presented for the first time in a Philadelphia courtroom on Thursday. However, the hearing was postponed.
Milton Mateo Garcia, 28, was due to face a Philadelphia judge for a preliminary hearing at 11 a.m. at the city's Criminal Justice Center in Center City. He stands charged with a bevy of crimes related to the June 21 assault. Investigators say the South Philadelphia man followed the victim as she walked home from a bar after a night out with friends.
Surveillance video shows a man, alleged to be Garcia, biking past the woman along the 1900 block of Spruce Street, locking up his cycle and then grabbing her from behind and leading her into the apartment building.
Police say Garcia then forced his way inside and repeatedly raped the doctor before stealing her smartphone and keys. Three days later, the restaurant worker was taken into custody. The smartphone was found inside a bedroom at his home and the keys were in his pocket when he was taken into custody, detectives said.
A Honduran national, Garcia was removed from the United States in June 2013, according U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division. The agency has lodged a detainer against the man to ensure they're notified before he's released from custody.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Detectives with the Special Victims Unit say they're looking at whether Garcia was involved in any other assaults.
The hearing was postponed since the Assistant District Attorney assigned to the case is on vacation. The defense also requested additional time to prepare.
A new preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 11.
