Tulsa Police Arrest Rape Suspect Before He Leaves The Country

Tulsa police arrested a man accused of beating, strangling and kidnapping his ex-girlfriend.

Tuesday, September 3rd 2019, 7:23 pm

By: News On 6


Tulsa police arrested a man accused of beating, strangling and kidnapping his ex-girlfriend. Officers say the woman had two black eyes and lost a lot of blood after being dragged upstairs and cutting her head.

News On 6 Crime Reporter Lori Fullbright explains how police caught the suspect, before he fled the country.

She reports, “Once TPD’s Special Victim’s Unit detectives heard the details of the assault, they knew they had to work fast and stay late to make the arrest and got him locked up before he could make that flight, which was scheduled for Tuesday."

"When you read a case that sends chills down your spine, and you know you are not going to leave until you make an arrest, this was that case," said Sgt. Jillian Phippen, Tulsa Police Special Victim's Unit.

They arrested Erick Wanjiku after his ex-girlfriend told police he invited her to his apartment and when she refused to have sex with him, he began beating her. She said she tried to escape, but he strangled and raped her. When she tried again, she said he dragged her back up the stairs, cutting a gash in her forehead that caused tremendous blood loss.

"She finally convinced him, I need to go to the hospital because I'm going to die, and as they went out to the car, she ran away," Phippen said.

The arrest report says when asked about forcing her to perform a sex act, he told detectives he didn't remember that, but if he did, he was sorry and about the rape Police say he told them, he remembered putting on protection, but didn't remember sex.

They said he also wrote the victim an apology letter that said, "I take responsibility for causing you harm instead of being supportive and upholding you."

Prosecutors charged Wanjiku with domestic assault and battery, rape and kidnapping. A judge ordered him to wear a GPS monitor and not leave the state without permission.

SVU detectives say this is the third time in recent years, they've had a suspect try to leave the country - and they've caught them all three times. They say first, they want their victim to get justice here and second, they don't want them to go commit more violence in another country.

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