NYT Omits Immigration Status Of Suspect In Subway Corpse Rape Case, Sparking Outrage Over Selective Reporting

The New York Times published a 400-word report last week about the rape of a corpse aboard a New York City subway train — but nowhere in the article did the paper mention that the suspect, Felix Rojas, is an illegal alien.

Rojas, 44, was arrested for first-degree rape after police say he violated the body of a dead man on an R train in Manhattan on April 9. Surveillance footage reportedly captured Rojas entering the nearly empty train at the Whitehall Street–South Ferry station, rummaging through the pockets of a deceased man and then sexually assaulting the corpse before fleeing. (RELATED: Trump Admin To Collect Immigrants’ Social Media Handles)

What The New York Times did not report, however, is that Rojas is an illegal immigrant — a fact confirmed by law enforcement officials.

This weekend, the omission sparked criticism on social media, where readers accused the NYT of protecting a political narrative at the expense of telling the truth. “Why not report the facts?” Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin, wrote.

The New York Times refused to mention anywhere in its 400-word story on the monstrous rape of a corpse on the NYC subway that the depraved perpetrator is an ILLEGAL alien.

Why not report the facts, @nytimes? pic.twitter.com/O5IzCMfyEe

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) May 3, 2025

“Wow. Update your story, New York Times,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote.

Wow. Update your story @nytimes https://t.co/uLbcWDFPeb

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) May 3, 2025

While the Times highlighted that Rojas had no prior criminal record or sex offender status, the paper completely left out one of the most relevant contextual facts: his immigration status.