UTICA, N.Y. — The Utica Police Department arrested a maintenance worker who tried to sexually abuse a woman at her home.
The police said it charged Richard Melendez, 54, of Utica with aggravated sexual abuse on Oct. 3. He is also facing a charge for failing to change his employment status as a sex offender.
Utica Police said officers were made aware of a sexual assault complaint that occurred at a Bleeker Street apartment complex. The victim told officers that Melendez entered her apartment and pretended that work needed to be done there.
However, he entered the woman’s bedroom and remained there. Police said the victim thought Melendez, a Level 3 sex offender, was behaving oddly.
Police said she asked him what he was doing and noticed he had removed his clothes and made “inappropriate gestures” toward her.
Police said Melendez forced her onto the bed and tried to perform unwanted sexual acts. However, she was able to free herself and then he left.
The New York State Sex Offender Registry shows that Melendez has a history of convictions for sex crimes.
In 2015, he was convicted on two counts of open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior. In that crime, there were four victims. They were all women between the ages of 26 and 32. He served at least two years in prison.
In 2008, Melendez was convicted of the same crimes against a 28-year-old woman. For that conviction, he was sentenced to six months in prison.
He was convicted of the same charge in 2007. The victim was a 15-year-old girl. He spent four months in prison.
The New York State Sex Offender Registry reported that he was a stranger to all of his victims.
Level 3 is the highest designation of sex offender status.