Lebanon man charged after alleging raping, assaulting, kidnapping of a cab driver
LEBANON, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Lebanon man is facing multiple charges after he allegedly raped, assaulted, and kidnapped a Lebanon cab driver.
A Laclede County prosecutor has charged Jerry Edward Warnock, 52, with first-degree rape, armed criminal action, second-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault.
According to a release by the Laclede County Sheriff's Department, Warnock was arrested on Sunday after the victim called 9-1-1 and dispatchers could her a female’s voice on the line saying “please don’t hurt me” and the female was screaming and crying in pain.
Dispatchers heard a male’s voice telling the female to lay down and heard a male's voice say “I am not going to hurt you.” Dispatchers heard the victim tell the suspect not to use “zip ties,” according to the release.
The victim told deputies that she had received a call on her work phone just before 3 a.m., to pick up a passenger at Martin’s One Stop and take the passenger to his workplace on Hemlock Road. The passenger got in the rear passenger side seat. When the cab reached Hemlock the suspect slid over behind the victim and used her seatbelt to wrap around her neck.
At the time of his arrest, Warnock had two outstanding warrants for his arrest. One warrant for possession of a controlled substance and another warrant for second-degree burglary.
Warnock is being held in the Laclede County Detention Center. He was denied bond but has a bond hearing scheduled for Wednesday. Warnock does not have a defense attorney listed according to online court records.
