By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

MIDDLETOWN - Relatives of a 67-year-old woman who was stabbed and raped Saturday are horrified that the man who has been charged in her attack has been paroled five times in the past 20 years.

Engle

Tim Engle, 40, was released from a state prison in July after serving on and off since a 1982 conviction for robbing two Middletown businesses, including a bank. He has been paroled five times, on the condition he undergo drug and mental counseling but was always returned, mostly for violating his parole by using drugs.

The last time he violated it before Saturday's attack - just 21 days after his last release - he wasn't even returned to prison. Middletown police cited him July 22 for a drug offense but his parole officer allowed him to remain free, records show.

Mr. Engle's parole officer declined to comment Tuesday. An Ohio Department of Rehabilitation spokeswoman could not explain why the parole officials gave Mr. Engle so many chances.

"Isn't this pitiful?" the spokeswoman, Andrea Davis, said.

REVOLVING DOOR

Tim Engle was imprisoned in June 1982, after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery and other charges for robbing a bank and a beverage store. Since then, he has been in and out of prison: Paroled July 21, 1986. Parole revoked May 3, 1988. Released Jan. 3, 1989. Parole revoked Nov. 28, 1989. Released Jan. 4, 1993. Parole revoked Feb. 8, 1995. Released June 12, 2000. Parole revoked Sept. 17, 2001. Released July 1, 2002. Middletown police cited him July 22 for loitering in aid of drug offense. Middletown police arrested him shortly before midnight in connection with the stabbing, rape and robbery of his 67-year-old landlord. He is being held at the Middletown City Jail on $1 million bond. Source: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Middletown police

But the daughter of the victim told the Enquirer she is so outraged, she plans to appeal to state legislators about the problem. She said she doesn't want others to be victimized by repeatedly paroled offenders.

"I am just appalled they would give this person so many chances and he's probably not the only one out there walking around our community," said the victim's daughter, whose name is being withheld to protect the identity of her mother.

"Does it take somebody almost murdering another person and robbing them of their whole life security? It's very unsettling."

The victim remained in fair condition Tuesday at Middletown Regional Hospital as her attacker sat in Middletown City Jail in lieu of $1 million bond. Mr. Engle's pretrial hearing will be Monday at Middletown Municipal Court. He is charged with attempted murder, aggravated robbery and rape.

"I hope he rots in prison. Prison is really too good for him," her daughter said.

Meanwhile, the victim's recovery is going to be slow. The elderly woman was paralyzed when she was about 30 years old but struggled to overcome her handicap and was able to walk with two canes.

"She's pretty bad," her daughter said. "We're not sure what kind of movement she's going to get back. She wants to be independent but I don't know if she'll be independent again after this."

The victim is fairly well-known and beloved in Middletown, where she owns a dozen properties and is always taking in stray pets and helping those down on their luck, especially her tenants.

Kind-hearted and generous, she drives tenants to the grocery store and their jobs. She once even allowed her attacker, when he rented an apartment from her about two years ago, to work as her handyman, her daughter recalled.

When Mr. Engle showed up on her doorstep this weekend, she let him in because he asked to use her bathroom. After he didn't return, she found him taking cash and other items so he could buy drugs and he assaulted her, leaving her for dead, police have said.

"She takes in all the strays," the daughter said of her mother. "We have told her not to do that, but she really believed if she was good to people they wouldn't hurt her. Why would they? She trusted people."

Butler County Prosecutor Robin Piper said his office would do everything in its power to ensure Mr. Engle never hurts another person.

"A guy like this is a menace to society and he shouldn't be running free," Mr. Piper said. "And we'd like to think the Department of Rehabilitation is keeping people like this away from us."

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com