Career criminal arrested for attempting to rape a woman in a bathtub in Queens before being scared off by a Good Samaritan

A career criminal was arrested for attempting to rape a woman in a Queens restroom before being scared off by a good Samaritan, police said Thursday.

Homeless Damel Dennis was seized by Port Authority police at the Port Authority bus station on Wednesday after a whistleblower told police that Dennis was hanging out there, officials said.

The 34-year-old victim was exiting the bathroom in the lobby of a building near Crescent Street and 41st Avenue in Long Island City around 10:40 p.m. Feb. 8 when she was confronted by a reptile exposing himself outside the bathroom door, police officers. said.

When she tried to close the door on him, police said, he squeezed in, grabbed her face and tried to pull her pants off. The Good Samaritan intervened when he heard her scream, and the assailant ran away.

The woman was not hurt.

Two days later, cops released surveillance footage of the suspect and asked the public for help identifying him.

Dennis, 43, is charged with attempted sexual assault, public obscenity and burglary.

Police say he has about three dozen previous arrests to his credit, including a charge of sexual intercourse in April 2019.