The latest sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein could lead to criminal charges, the New York Police Department said in a press briefing on Friday.
Actress Paz de la Huerta alleged that the disgraced mogul raped her twice in 2010. On Friday, Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce called Huerta’s story “credible,” and revealed that police is gathering evidence to issue an arrest warrant for Weinstein.
“She put forth a credible and detailed narrative to us. We then sought to garner corroboration — this happened seven years ago — and we found corroboration,” Boyce told reporters. “We have an actual case here.”
Boyce went so far as to add that if the allegations were more recent and if Weinstein was still in New York, “we would go right away and make the arrest.” However, Boyce explained, Weinstein is currently out-of-state in voluntary rehab, so the Manhattan District Attorney would have to secure an arrest warrant.
On Thursday, Vanity Fair published an article in which de la Huerta detailed two alleged assaults at the hands of Weinstein. In the first alleged rape, in November 2010, de la Huerta said Weinstein gave her a ride home to her Tribeca apartment. There, de la Huerta alleged, he demanded he come inside and have a drink, and then assaulted her.
“I felt afraid… It wasn’t consensual… It happened very quickly… He stuck himself inside me… When he was done he said he’d be calling me,” she said. “I kind of just laid on the bed in shock.”
The “Boardwalk Empire” actress said Weinstein repeatedly called her afterward and then just over a month later, in December, drunkenly appeared in her building’s lobby, insisted that he be invited to her apartment, and allegedly raped her again there.