Child-rape suspect moved to CdA

A Coeur d’Alene man accused of raping his 22-month-old daughter was transferred Friday to the Kootenai County Jail, where he is being held on $100,000 bond as he awaits a first court appearance Monday on the rape charge.

Benjamin Wright, 25, was arrested in Spokane early Monday morning and had been held in the Spokane County Jail until Friday, when he was transported to Coeur d’Alene.

According to authorities, the girl’s mother noticed blood in her daughter’s diaper on Saturday. When she talked about this with Wright, he told her it was probably a bladder infection and suggested giving the girl cranberry juice. Wright then left the house, Sgt. Christie Wood, information officer for the Coeur d’Alene police, said this week.

The mother took the girl to Kootenai Medical Center, where it was determined that her injuries required immediate surgery, police said.

Staffers at Kootenai Medical Center reported a possible rape to police at 11:41 p.m. Sunday, Wood said. Detectives worked throughout the night collecting evidence and obtained an arrest warrant by 3 a.m. Monday, Wood said.

Wright was located at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane a short time later and was arrested by Spokane Police. Wood said she could not comment on why Wright was at the Spokane hospital.

“We are pretty much at a standstill at this point,” Lt. Don Jiran of the Coeur d’Alene Police detective division said Friday. “We are going forward with what evidence we have.”