The Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Christopher Boissard, known locally as the “Greenpoint goon,” has been arrested and is now behind bars after yet another groping attack. The 33-year-old is currently held at Rikers Island on $30,000 bail, facing charges of sex abuse, forcible touching, and harassment.
A decade of terror comes to a halt
Boissard’s recent arrest on July 5 marks the end of a nearly decade-long reign of terror that has left the community on edge. Residents like Janet Velez have been vocal about their relief. “I’m glad he’s locked up,” Velez told The Post. “He can’t be released again. The judge can’t release him. He needs to be kept in a mental facility where they can give him the help he badly needs.” Velez recounted a recent encounter with Boissard, where she witnessed him harassing a woman. “He was pushing her and charging at her like he was going to hit her,” she said. “He is very violent and he needs thorough psychiatric treatment.”
A troubled history
Boissard, a registered level 3 sex offender, has a criminal record that includes 39 arrests since 2011. His past offences include molesting a 19-year-old woman in 2021. Despite his extensive criminal history, Boissard has managed to evade serious jail time, partly due to court records indicating he is “deaf and mute,” complicating his placement in a long-term treatment facility.
Victims speak out
Maria Alejandra, another victim of Boissard, shared her harrowing experience from July 19, 2023. “I was coming from the train and going home, and he came up behind me,” she said. “I fell to the ground and a woman came to help me. He just kept walking like normal. I was dizzy but I kept walking home. I called my husband to come get me and we went to his home. We called the police but he hid in the apartment and they couldn’t find him.” Alejandra expressed her fear upon seeing Boissard again three weeks ago. “I went by there and I saw him. I was like, ‘Oh my God,’ he’s still here! I’m afraid for myself, for all the women he’s attacked. He needs to be kept in jail.”
Recent arrests and legal proceedings
In the latest incident leading to his arrest, Boissard stepped out of a local store on Manhattan Avenue and fondled a woman running by, grabbing her breasts. He was arrested days later, and prosecutors this time demanded bail and presented the case to a grand jury, which voted to indict him. An arraignment date has yet to be scheduled. Boissard is currently held on $30,000 cash bail or a $90,000 bond.
Calls for mental health treatment
Boissard’s past arrests have primarily been misdemeanours, carrying a maximum jail sentence of one year. This has allowed him to avoid long-term detention under the state’s lenient bail system. Records indicate he has been sent to court-ordered alcohol rehab in Atlanta, Georgia, and upstate Rochester, but he has either been kicked out or walked away from the programs and returned to Greenpoint. “He needs mental treatment,” said Rajiv Ahmed, who works at 1068 Mini Mart Deli in Greenpoint. “They need to take him to the psychiatric hospital. He’s been arrested too many times and nothing changes.”
Community’s response
Elaine, a local woman who asked to be identified only by her first name, carries pepper spray to protect herself from Boissard. “He harasses women, he gropes women, he starts trouble,” she said. Elaine recounted a specific incident where she had to intervene to protect a woman from Boissard. “Last year I was waiting for the bus in front of my house and he was chasing a woman who ran and hid behind me. I stood my ground, put my hand up and he saw I wasn’t playing, and he backed off. I had to put the lady on the bus and tell the bus driver to let her off at the next stop so she could go to work.” “Justice has to be served,” Elaine added. “It’s not fair to those in the community who are afraid to walk in the street because of one person threatening women.” The arrest of Christopher Boissard has brought a sense of relief to the Greenpoint community, but residents continue to call for long-term solutions to ensure their safety and prevent further incidents.