Conviction of a Grand Street house burglar who committed attempted assault

A 29-year-old East New York man was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison for attempting to sexually assault a woman in her Williamsburg apartment in 2019.

The prosecution announced the conviction of defendant Akijah Hall, who was arrested because he was stupid enough to leave his wallet and ID at the crime scene.

“This defendant broke into a young woman’s home in the middle of the night and attempted to sexually assault her in her sleep – an alarming violation of her safety and privacy,” said Prosecutor Gonzalez. “Thanks to the victim’s bravery and her roommate’s quick response, he was arrested before he could cause any further harm.”

Hall was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Heidi Cesare to eight years in prison and 15 years of post-release supervision. He pleaded guilty in August 2024 to second-degree burglary as a sexually motivated crime, attempted first-degree sexual conduct and first-degree sexual abuse.

The incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. on October 11, 2019, when Hall broke into an apartment on Grand Street in Williamsburg by ripping the door off its hinges. He entered the bedroom of a 25-year-old woman and attempted to attack her while she was sleeping by putting his hand over her mouth and breast.

The victim’s screams alerted her roommate, who confronted Hall, leading to a fight. Hall fled, leaving behind his jacket, wallet and a coffee cup. Inside his wallet was his New York State ID card, which included his name, photo and home address, as well as his student ID card. It was later discovered that the coffee cup contained his DNA.

After fleeing the scene, Hall went to the 75th Precinct and filed a police report, claiming he had lost his jacket and wallet, which he had actually left behind at the scene. Just hours later, officers arrested him outside his home after linking the items to the attempted attack.