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Police: attempted teen rapist intercepted

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

(Olinville-WABC, February 20, 2007) (WABC) -- An ambulette driver, with a license to drive children, is under arrest. Police say he abducted a teen, but they caught him moments before he was going to assault her.

Eyewitness News reporter Ken Rosato is in the Olinville section of the Bronx.

The man's name is 25-year-old Nicholas Vegier, from Coop City in the Bronx. Police say he is charged with attempted rape, unlawful imprisonment and resisting arrest.

Police say he forced a 17-year-old young woman into the ambulette van that he drives. This all allegedly happened on the steps of Evander Childs High School on Barnes Ave. between E. Gun Hill Road and Magenta St. before 9:00 a.m. Monday.

Eyewitness News is told a person walking by heard the teen's screams and got some police officers in a patrol van nearby.

According to reports, Police Officers Julian Pupo and Michael Dimurro opened the ambulette's doors and found Vegier and the victim naked from the waist down. They grabbed Vegier before he was able to rape the screaming victim, cops said.

Vegier is now in police custody. Eyewitness News is told the young woman is okay but very badly shaken up.

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