Woman robbed, sexually assaulted in W. Toledo

12/9/2000

A 20-year-old Erie, Mich., woman was robbed and sexually assaulted at knifepoint late Thursday night by a man who jumped into her minivan while it was parked outside a West Toledo business.

Police said the woman left her place of employment in the 200 block of North Reynolds Road about 11:45 p.m. to warm up her van and returned to the business. When she went back to the van, she started driving north on North Reynolds and turned onto Central Avenue. In the area of Talmadge Road, a man who was hiding in the vehicle threatened her with a knife, police said.

The man told the woman where to drive. They parked behind a warehouse in the area of Wenz Road and South Avenue, where the man forced her to perform oral sex, police said. After the assault, the woman continued driving until the man told her he needed to go to the east side.

When he asked if she would like to drive or get out of the van, the woman got out. She walked to a house on St. Aubin Drive, where she sought help and called police, authorities said.

In addition to taking the woman's blue, 1992 Plymouth Voyager van with a Michigan license plate, the man also stole her purse, a cellular telephone, and $100.