Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of ANTHONY SMITH, 37, for allegedly placing a woman in a chokehold until she lost consciousness and sexually assaulting her on a Midtown sidewalk in August 2025. SMITH is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with two counts each of Attempted Rape in the First Degree and Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, as well as Strangulation in the Second Degree and Strangulation in the Second Degree as a Sexually Motivated Felony. [1]
“As alleged, Anthony Smith brutally choked a woman until she lost consciousness before sexually assaulting her,” said District Attorney Bragg. “My Special Victims Division takes these crimes extremely seriously and will doggedly pursue justice in this case while centering the survivor’s needs.”
As alleged in court documents and statements made on the record in court, in the early morning of August 10, 2025, SMITH walked around Midtown West for approximately an hour, following and staring at women and putting his hand down his pants. At approximately 3:30 a.m., on West 47th Street near 8th Avenue, SMITH approached a woman from behind as she walked to the train station. He placed her in a chokehold and applied force until she lost consciousness. SMITH sexually assaulted her until she began to regain consciousness, and then he fled. He was arrested in his apartment on August 13, 2025, by members of the NYPD’s Warrants Squad.
Assistant D.A. Brianna DeMilia is handling the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Kaitlyn Flatley (Deputy Chief of the intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Bureau) and Executive Assistant D.A. Justin McNabney (Chief of the Special Victims Division). Trial Preparation Assistant Allison Loving is assisting with the prosecution.
D.A. Bragg thanked the NYPD, particularly Detective Matthew Palmieri.
Defendant Information
ANTHONY SMITH
New York, NY
Charges:
- Attempted Rape in the First Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
- Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a class D felony, two counts
- Strangulation in the Second Degree as a Sexually Motivated Felony, a class D felony, one count
- Strangulation in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count.
[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.