Cheney woman reports rape by armed man in her home

A 22-year-old woman told Cheney police on Thursday that a gun-wielding man raped her as she exited her shower.

The woman lives alone on First Street, which is Cheney’s main arterial. Police found no witnesses, interim Cheney Police Chief Rick Campbell said.

“This will be a high priority until we know more,” Campbell said.

The woman called police about 9:15 a.m. and said she had just been raped by an unknown man who threatened her with a handgun. The man then fled, she told police.

The woman’s apartment was placed on prowl check, which means a police officer comes by every eight hours to check for suspicious activity, Campbell said.

It was the third report the woman has filed since July 10, when she told Cheney police that she was being stalked, Campbell said.

On Tuesday, the woman called police at 11:40 p.m. to say she had been assaulted.

“But she couldn’t provide us with details because she was unconscious at the time,” Campbell said. “We asked her to submit to a rape examination, and she declined.”

The woman had some scratches but no other signs of trauma, he said.

After the Thursday report, the woman had a rape examination at a local hospital.

She described the stalker on July 10 and her attacker Thursday as 5 feet 11 inches or 6 feet tall and 200 pounds. She said he was black with short hair and a big belly. She said he was wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt, Campbell said.

“We took several pieces of evidence from the apartment,” he said. “We don’t know how he gained entry. There were no obvious signs of forced entry.”

Anyone with information about the alleged assault can call Cheney police at 498-9235.