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Former Port St. Lucie teacher arrested in New York City attempted rape case

Posted at 6:55 AM, Aug 06, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-07 04:32:34-04

A 34-year-old former Port St. Lucie teacher was arrested after an attempted rape was caught on camera Friday in New York City.

Surveillance video shows a 21-year-old woman attempting to enter her residence when she was approached from behind by a man.

New York City police said the incident occurred in the vicinity of 55th Street and Queens Blvd. in Queens at about 3:50 a.m. 

Police said the attacker forcibly grabbed the woman's arms and pulled her towards him before the victim was able to break free and run away. 

NYPD arrested Christopher Prusa on Saturday evening in connection with the case.  He faces the following charges:

  • Attempted rape 
  • Unlawful imprisonment 
  • Attempted assault
  • Criminal possession of controlled substance
  • Sexual abuse
  • Stalking 
  • Unlawful possession Marijuana
  • Harassment 

Prusa was a former social studies teacher in the St. Lucie County School District for five years.  He last worked between 2015 and 2017 at Port St. Lucie High School but was not reappointed after an internal investigation.

The school district did not specify why there was an internal investigation.

However, there was a Port St. Lucie Police incident report from spring 2017 that showed Prusa went to Mulligan's Beach House in Jensen Beach, where one of his students at the time worked.

The female student said Prusa pulled out a camera and said something sexually suggestive.

The teenager also said she was kind of offended by it, but surprised to hear of the recent arrest and serious charges against her former teacher.