Suspect arrested in kidnap, rape of woman in Arcadia
ARCADIA, Calif. (KABC) -- A suspect was taken into custody on suspicion of raping and kidnapping a 25-year-old woman in Arcadia Wednesday.
The suspect, identified as Philippe Lutete, 29, was currently out on bond for a similar arrest.
He is said to have abducted the woman around 3 a.m. while she was walking near Longden Avenue and Peck Road by an ARCO gas station. He grabbed the victim and took her into his car, according to authorities.
She was then taken to his home in the 2800 block of Fairgreen Avenue where he continuously raped her, authorities said. The woman managed to escape and briefly spoke to a neighbor before the suspect dragged her back into his home.
The neighbor then called 911 after hearing the woman scream for help. When deputies arrived around 2 p.m., the suspect fled the scene through a side window.
Deputies began searching the neighborhood by the home and neighbors helped track Lutete down.
He was found hiding in bushes in the back of a nearby home in the 2800 block of Mayflower Avenue at about 9:30 p.m.
The victim remains hospitalized.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special Victims Bureau at (877) 710-5273. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
