Man attacked, raped developmentally disabled woman at Forest Park bus stop, police say
Family and friends say even while hospitalized, the woman in her 40s still cared most about getting to work.
FOREST PARK, Ohio (WXIX) - A 39-year-old Forest Park man is under arrest on multiple charges after police say he grabbed a developmentally disabled woman walking to the bus stop to go to work, assaulted her, dragged her into woods and raped her.
A passerby happened to see this at 6 a.m. Saturday at Winton Road and Smiley Avenue and called for help, according to Forest Park Police Captain Rick Jones.
“Thank God a passerby saw it and called the police,” Captain Jones told FOX19 NOW. “Our officers got there and stopped the sexual assault while it was in progress.”
The suspect, German Mathews, ran off, but officers apprehended him after a foot chase, according to the captain.
The victim was seriously hurt when Mathews hit her in her head and face, police wrote in an affidavit. Captain Jones said she is developmentally disabled.
She was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
A family member provided a photo of the victim to FOX19. It is so graphic we are unable to post it but it’s clear she suffered extensive injuries.
“She was beaten terribly,” Jones said. “She’s got bites to her breast. She’s got swelling on her brain, bilateral fractured orbitals and a broken nose.”
The victim’s family members say she was going to catch a bus downtown to go to work.
“She was so bloody. Hair, eyes swollen shut. Just twisted and contorted. It was just horrible,” said Irvin Laibson, a friend of the victim who saw her at the hospital.
Irvin says the woman is in her mid 40s but has the mental capacity of a teenager. He says the woman “fought like hell” during the alleged attack.
“She has a job. One of the things she said when she got in the hospital... apparently, she said, ‘Tell the people I’m going to be late for work,’” Irvin said.
Mathews was arrested on two counts of rape and single counts of kidnapping and felonious assault.
Police say he has a history of sexual assault cases in Florida and that he was deported in 2016 prior to being arrested in 2017 for illegal entry into the country.
He was booked into the Hamilton County jail around 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Bond was set at $400,000 during his first hearing Monday morning.
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