By John Annese
New York Daily News
NEW YORK — A burglary suspect locked up on Rikers Island tried to rape a nurse at the jail complex — but was stopped by a fellow inmate, prosecutors said Monday.
Michael Cleaver, 56, was being held at the Eric M. Taylor Center when he went on a horrifying rampage Nov. 12, according to Bronx D.A. Darcel Clark’s office.
Just after 2:20 a.m., he lunged at a correction officer, touching her breast, then at 4:19 p.m., forced a 51-year-old nurse into a room and locked her inside with him, prosecutors said.
The 5-foot-6, 210-pound Cleaver put the trapped nurse into a bear hug and pushed her to the ground, prosecutors said, shoving his hand into her pants and pulling her clothes down.
The nurse yelled for help, and another inmate broke the door lock and repeatedly punched Cleaver in a bid to rescue the victim, prosecutors said.
Cleaver’s alleged assault happened three days after his arrest on burglary charges in Brooklyn. He was on probation at the time, after being convicted last year in a 2019 Manhattan burglary case, records show.
A Bronx grand jury indicted him on charges of attempted rape, sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching. He was arraigned in Bronx Supreme Court Monday and remains held without bail.
His lawyer declined to comment Monday night.
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