Teen accused of rape has court date postponed

An arraignment hearing in the case of a Sikeston, Mo., teen charged with raping an 80-year-old woman has been rescheduled.

Mitchell T. West was scheduled to appear before Cape Girardeau County Circuit Judge Benjamin F. Lewis at 2 p.m. on Monday, but the case has been continued until Feb. 23.

West faces charges of rape, forcible sodomy, theft of a credit device and burglary arising from a rape that occurred on Nov. 30 in a Cape Girardeau neighborhood.

West was arrested two weeks later after allegedly returning to the same neighborhood and breaking into the home of the rape victim, who was elsewhere at the time.

A neighbor called 911 when she heard glass breaking at the residence, and West tried to flee on foot but was apprehended by police.