After fleeing across the globe and six years on the lamb, a former hospital worker accused of sexually assaulting a child in Astoria is back in custody.
On July 20, 30-year-old Peter Belegrinos was charged in a seven- count indictment for allegedly kidnapping a 9-year-old girl from Astoria Park in 2005 and sexually assaulting her.
It was a replay of a scene on August 9, 2005 when he was brought before a judge, charged and released on $50,000. This time, however, Belegrinos was held without bail.
Belegrinos failed to show up for a court date in 2006 on the original charges, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
He had fled the country and was making his way across Europe, accord- ing to the Queens District Attorney.
He was arrested in February 2011 at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on an arrest warrant obtained by the District Attorney’s Office stemming from the Queens case and had been fighting extradition since that time.
After months of legal work, he was returned to Queens to face charges from the original incident at Astoria Park.
Queens District Attorney Richard Browns said that, according to the criminal charges brought in 2005, Belegrinos approached three chil- dren—a boy and girl, both 9 years of
age, and a 12-year-old girl—on August 8, 2005, and asked them to play a game that he described as a “kissing game.”
The children ran from Belegrinos, but he allegedly chased after them.
Prosecutors say that the younger girl yelled for help but that Belegrinos was able to grab the girl’s leg, causing her to fall, and punched her on the side of the head before lifting up her skirt and sexually abusing her.
Belegrinos was apprehended shortly thereafter as adult passers- by, alerted that the children were in trouble, called 911.
Belegrinos faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted and will return to court on August 13.
