Tip from suspect’s family leads to arrest in rape of stranger followed into Manhattan building

A suspect wanted for following a stranger into a Manhattan apartment building and raping her in a stairwell has been nabbed — thanks to a tip from his own step-family, a police source said Monday.

Jamel McIver was arrested Sunday for rape and sexually-motivated burglary for the Upper West Side attack the day before.

McIver, 30, already was facing a pending sex abuse case in the Bronx.

In the Saturday attack, he is accused of following the 21-year-old victim into a building near West End Ave. and W. 65th St. about 1:20 a.m., cornering her in an elevator and threatening to kill her.

He then allegedly forced her out of the elevator and into a stairwell, where he raped her before fleeing.

The victim was treated at a nearby hospital.

Later that day, the NYPD released surveillance footage of the suspect and asked the public’s help identifying him, leading to the tip from his step-family.

McIver has a number of prior arrests, including one in 2019 in which he was charged with sex abuse, sexually-motivated burglary and acting in a manner injurious to a child younger than 17. He is due back in court in that case on March 29.

His arraignment for the new arrest was pending in Manhattan Criminal Court Monday. He lives in East Harlem, according to cops.

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