KC police accuse man stuck in snow of rape

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City police on Wednesday arrested a man accused of raping a woman in front of her two children after he knocked on her door late at night and asked for help getting a truck out of the snow.

The 29-year-old suspect, whose name was not immediately released, was jailed while prosecutors decided whether to file charges.

Police said in their initial report that the suspect and another man first knocked on the 22-year-old woman's door in central Kansas City around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. She refused their request to let them inside to warm up. The suspect returned around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, and the woman again refused his request to come inside.

The report said she agreed to provide hot water to help the men free the truck, which was parked sideways in front of her home. Police said that as she fetched a bucket of water, the suspect followed the victim into her home where he attacked her.

The woman screamed, "I have kids here!" according to the police report.

The second man, age 35, told police he heard the screaming and tussled with the suspect, allowing the woman to escape temporarily. As the witness walked toward the door, the suspect forced the woman into a back bedroom and raped her on a bed where her 23-month-old and 5-year-old daughters were lying.

Police said the older child screamed for the man to stop.

The witness said he pulled the suspect off her, police said.

The woman told investigators she then told the suspect and the other man that it was OK, and that she would still get them water. Instead, she locked them out of the house and called the police.

Police said both men were standing by the truck when officers arrived and found the woman crying.

The 35-year-old witness was questioned at the scene and released, police said.

Graves said police reports have been turned over to prosecutors. She said the suspect was being detained on what is called a 24-hour hold. She did not know if he had an attorney.