Tuesday, October 05, 1999
Rapist got into house easily
Assault on child may be one of series
BY EARNEST WINSTON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
On Monday, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office warned people to lock their doors after a man entered a Colerain Township house through an unlocked door, forced a 10-year-old girl outside and raped her.
Police are not sure if the attack is related to a string of assaults in northeast Greater Cincinnati.
The child was asleep on the living room couch. Her mother and two other adults were asleep upstairs at the home in the 2900 block of John Gray Road. Police said at 5:15 a.m. Monday, the man woke up the child and forced her to the backyard.
The girl told police the man had a light mustache, was 6 feet tall and weighed about 200 pounds. He wore a pair of black or bleached jeans, a dark shirt, black boots, and a dark mask and gloves, she told police.
The sheriff's office is comparing notes with other police agencies investigating a string of rapes and attempted assaults in Blue Ash, Mason, Montgomery, Sharonville and Springdale. In most of the attacks, the assailant came in through an unlocked door or window.
Hamilton County Prosecu tor Michael Allen, who heads the multicounty task force investigating the five rapes in Mason, Montgomery and Blue Ash since April 1998, refused to discuss Monday's rape or the work of the task force.
Steve Barnett, spokesman for the sheriff's office, said, “I think it's important for people to make sure their doors and windows are locked. And that their curtains are pulled and blinds are closed to obstruct the views so people can't just easily look in windows to see what property or people are inside the house.”
In the Colerain Township assault, the man threatened the girl to keep her quiet, Mr. Barnett said. He said the man did not have a weapon.
After the man ran off, the girl woke her mother. The mother's friend and cousin searched the area and found nothing.
Police said there have been at least a dozen burglaries or attempted rapes over the last three months in that area of Colerain Township. In two cases, burglars were scared away by children.
“There's something going on in the northern part of Colerain Township that the citizens have to be aware of,” Mr. Barnett said.
Police said they have no reason to think the rapist knew the victim or her family or targeted the house.
Anyone with information about Monday's rape/burglary is asked to call the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office at 825-1500.
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