Felix Rojas, a 44-year-old Brooklyn man, was arrested and charged with first-degree rape after allegedly violating the corpse of a dead man on the R train in Manhattan. The incident occurred late at night on April 9, 2025, when Rojas entered the subway at the Whitehall Street-South Ferry station and discovered the deceased man, who had died of natural causes earlier in the evening. Surveillance cameras captured Rojas rummaging through the man's pockets and engaging in the unlawful act before fleeing the scene. Despite record-low crime rates reported by the NYPD, this event highlights ongoing and unpredictable violence within New York City's transit system. Rojas, who had no prior criminal record and was not registered as a sex offender, was later identified and apprehended following a police manhunt aided by released surveillance images.

Felix Rojas was charged with first-degree rape for abusing a corpse on the R train in Manhattan, an incident that took place around 11 p.m. on April 9, 2025.

The deceased man boarded the train at approximately 8 p.m. and died of natural causes before Rojas found him and committed the crime during a 45-minute train ride.

Surveillance footage captured the entire act, showing Rojas rifling through the dead man's pockets and violating the body before escaping the train car.

A police manhunt was initiated, and Rojas was arrested on April 27, 2025, after his images from the surveillance footage were released to the public.

Despite a decrease in major crimes, this incident underscores the persistent and unpredictable nature of violence within the city's subway system.

Rojas, who had no previous criminal history or sex offender registration, was described by a neighbor as a former maintenance worker and member of a churchgoing family.

The case gained attention for its shocking nature even as the NYPD highlighted decreased crime rates during the year's first quarter.