Article published October 15, 2003
Mall employee raped twice in 4-hour ordeal
Man waited in parking lot, forced her into car with knife
By CHRISTINA HALL
BLADE STAFF WRITER
An employee at a store at Westfield Shoppingtown Franklin Park was forced into her car at knifepoint by a man who raped her in her vehicle at a nearby apartment complex, drove her around for several hours, and sexually assaulted her again in South Toledo.
As the 41-year-old Toledo woman walked to her car in the parking lot at the West Toledo mall around 9:10 p.m. Monday, the man approached her and asked her several questions.
He pulled out a knife and forced her into her car, a white Chevrolet Lumina, Toledo police said.
The man drove the victim's car from the lot to an apartment building parking lot near Sylvania Avenue and Talmadge Road and raped her. He drove to South Toledo to the area of Western Avenue and the Anthony Wayne Trail, then to the area of Spencer Street and South Avenue, where he used the telephone, police said.
The man then drove to a secluded area in the vicinity of City Park Avenue and the Trail, where he raped the victim again. About 1:30 a.m. yesterday, he got out of the car and fled.
The victim drove herself to police headquarters downtown to report the assault. She was treated at a local hospital, Capt. Ron Spann said.
The captain said the suspect and the victim engaged in conversation during the ordeal and that the suspect threatened to kill her with the knife.
"It's an extremely violent crime that shocks the conscience of the community regardless of where it occurs," police Chief Mike Navarre said. "We'll do everything we possibly can to apprehend this individual before he strikes again."
Todd Hiepler, the mall's manager, declined comment so as not to compromise the investigation.
However, he said as "police give us more facts and details of the matter, we can respond appropriately."
He said mall officials were working on informing employees about the incident as information became available.
While a few store managers couldn't make any comments, others said they are concerned about what happened even though there is a security presence at the mall.
"We're concerned, but we're not scared," said Kathy Mermer, store manager at Eddie Bauer.
She and another store manager said employees leave the mall together and walk to the designated employee parking areas as a matter of safety and, in some cases, store or company policy.
"Our company policy is that no one can leave the store and go to the lot alone," said Stephanie Rieck, store manager at Casual Corner. "We leave in a group. We try for four [people] and have a minimum of two."
Ms. Rieck said employees also make sure their colleagues get into their vehicles and that their vehicles start before leaving.
Katie Wren, an employee at the Coffee Mill, said a male friend would walk her and other employees from the mall in light of what happened.
The suspect was described as black with a dark complexion, in his 30s, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, and weighing about 170 pounds.
He had black hair, brown eyes, and smooth skin with no facial hair. He was wearing a tight-fitting, gray skull cap; a dark, hooded zip-up sweatshirt; blue jeans; and dark-colored, designer glasses with square lenses.
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