College student abducted, raped
The suspect was photographed while trying to use the victim's ATM card at a Moses Lake bank.
MOSES LAKE - A 19-year-old woman was abducted at knife-point at Big Bend Community College, then robbed and raped.
The woman was walking to her car at roughly 10 a.m. when a man approached her with a knife, according to Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones.
He forced her into her car and drove to a Moses Lake bank and tried to use the victim's debit card to withdraw money from an ATM.
The woman was taken to the Moses Lake Sand Dunes recreation area and raped, according to Jones.
"The victim's vehicle became stuck in the sand, and the suspect left the vehicle and fled. It is possible the suspect hitched a ride with an unsuspecting motorist," Jones stated.
The victim was able to walk to the Washington State Patrol office to obtain help. She was taken to Samaritan Hospital.
Grant County Major Crimes Detectives are asking the public to help identify the man, Jones stated. He is described a white male with Hispanic ethnicity, 6 feet tall, medium build, brown hair, dark full mustache and goatee. Jones stated the suspect has tattoos on his forearms.
People with information regarding the suspect are asked to call the sheriff's office at 509-762-1160 or to send a tip by email to crimetips@co.grant.wa.us.
Big Bend Community College issued a safety alert.
The college is assisting the sheriff's office and assigning additional security to patrol parking lots and other areas on campus, according to Autumn Dietrich, director of public information.
The college requested additional patrols of the campus and plans on future alerts to update students and the public.
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