Carbondale police are looking for a man they say snuck into a woman’s apartment early in the morning more than two months ago, raped her and threatened to kill her family.
Justin Brown, 24, who is listed as homeless, is charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, burglary, criminal trespass, sexual assault, loitering and prowling at night time and unlawful restraint.
The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.
About 3 a.m. on Sept. 13, the victim woke to a noise downstairs, according to a criminal complaint filed by Officer Tim Mackrell. She investigated and found a window open.
In the living room, she caught a glimpse of a man hiding near the cubby holes where her son keeps his toys.
She turned to run and the man, whom police would later identify as Brown, tackled her. He raped her so violently that she became ill, police said.
During the attack, Brown made several comments that led the victim to believe he had been following her. Brown claimed an ex of hers hired him to scare her and paid $2,500 up front with the promise of $2,500 more once he was done. He told the victim she was being watched and her family would be killed if she made any noise.
She was able to get a look at her attacker. He was a black man with a shaggy beard and wore an all-black sweat suit.
Before he left, he tied her hands with the cord of a phone charger and stole a laptop and a Google Home voice-activated unit, according to police.
Police investigated and soon identified Brown, the boyfriend of a neighbor with whom the victim had problems, as a suspect.
In early October, a judge approved a search warrant for Brown’s DNA. Those results eventually came back matching the evidence collected during the investigation, Police Chief Brian Bognatz said.
Authorities filed charges Thursday. Bognatz said investigators are still looking for Brown.
Anyone with information on Brown’s whereabouts is asked to contact either 911 or 570-342-9111.
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9144; @jkohutTT on Twitter