Police in Washington, D.C., arrested a man suspected in two violent attacks after he left his second victim his name and number.
Nineteen-year-old DeMarco Myles wrote down his first name and cell phone number for a Howard University student he allegedly raped in her room at Bethune annex, an all-women’s dorm.
Police traced the number to Myles’ Fourth Street NW address, where he lives with his mother, and arrested him.
Myles’ first attack took place at a Rhode Island Row apartment in Northeast D.C. on October 26. The 24-year-old victim was working from home when a man knocked on her door around 2 pm and said he was promoting a party. He forced his way into her apartment and allegedly tried to kill her. The victim said she screamed at the top of her lungs and fought back, but the suspect kicked, beat, and stabbed her in the face, head, and body at least 25 times.
The stab wounds cut to the bone, and the victim was left with vision impairment and severe bruising. She was admitted to the intensive care unit in serious condition.
The second attack on the 19-year-old Howard student took place last Friday, one week after the first attack. The victim said the suspect came to her room around 1:15 pm and made casual conversation. One report says he began to masturbate when he entered the room. The victim told the suspect to leave, but he didn’t. She started to send a text message to a friend before the suspect pulled out brass knuckles with a purple blade.
The suspect grabbed the phone, sent a text message to the victim’s friend, and then raped her. Then he allegedly left a note saying, “Since you don’t know me, here’s my number.” He tried to cross out the number, but detectives were able to read it.
Detectives later found out that a man matching Myles’ description entered other rooms at Bethune annex but left when asked.
Myles told detectives the sex with the 19-year-old student was consensual, but he admitted that he forced his way into the Rhode Island Row apartment and stabbed the first victim when she resisted. He said he didn’t mean to hurt anybody and asked detectives if the victim survived.
The suspect managed to get past several security measures in both attacks. At Rhode Island Row, a key card is needed for the front door, elevator, and apartment. At Howard, there is a sign-in process in addition to locked doors. The university is investigating how Myles managed to get into the dorm.
The Washington Times reports that Myles is a ward of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. He is being held without bond and is being charged with intent to commit first-degree sexual assault and intent to kill while armed with a knife in the first attack. He is being charged with first-degree sexual assault by force while armed with a knife for the second attack. One of the victims is still in the hospital.