Brooklyn, NY – A pair of martial arts instructors who rescued a Jewish woman from a would be rapist were among those recognized today as “Heroes of the Month” at Brooklyn Borough Hall, receiving citations for their efforts from Borough President Eric Adams.

27 year old Miriam Braverman was walking home from synagogue in East Williamsburg just after midnight on October 17th when she was attacked from behind by a man who threw her to the ground, reported The Daily News.

The man, later identified as 30 year old Todd Deas, was attempting to sexually assault Braverman when he was interrupted by 46 year old Luis Ruiz and his 28 year old stepson Antonio Pina who came across the violent struggle as they walked home from work.

Pina, a former auxiliary police officer with the 90th Precinct, tailed Deas as he left the scene and called police, identifying Deas when the NYPD arrived. Ruiz stayed with Braverman, who was bloodied and bruised, until paramedics arrived on scene.

Deas, a resident of a nearby homeless shelter who had multiple prior arrests, was arrested and charged with attempted rape, assault and strangulation.

Adams praised the father-son team as he honored them with citations for their efforts.

“These men are both first-degree heroes who showed not just their physical strength, but their emotional and mental fortitude,” said Adams. “As a former police officer, I know no crime has more of a chilling impact on a family than sexual abuse, and we were able to prevent that from happening here.”

A smiling Braverman posed for pictures with her rescuers, crediting them for their heroism.

“There’s a saying in Judaism that if you save one life, it’s as if you save the entire world,” said Braverman. “It never made any sense until this happened. They saved my life.”

Also honored at today’s ceremony was 17 year old Ahmed Khalifa, a Muslim high school student who chased down a man who attacked an Orthodox Jewish woman as she rode a Q train in Brooklyn, as previously reported on VIN News (http://bit.ly/2iNbl4x).