Good Samaritans Help Nab Tulsa Rape Suspect

Lori Fullbright, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- A suspected Tulsa rapist is behind bars.

Sex crimes detectives tell News On 6 stranger rapes are pretty rare in Tulsa, but they say one happened Thursday night near 5th and Lewis. They say alert neighbors likely saved the victim's life.

A lot of people might hear screaming and think, I don't want to get involved or it's probably just a domestic, but, not so with a mother and daughter. They called 911 and police say that's a big reason they were able to catch the suspect, who still had the victim's property in his pockets.

Police say the victim had a fight with her boyfriend before midnight, took a walk to cool off and ended up by an abandoned house.

Police say as she was sitting there, a man approached her. She said she wanted nothing to do with him, but he jumped her, took her belt from her, put it around her neck and tried to choke her.

She told police she fought back but it wasn't enough. The one thing that did save her is that she never stopped screaming.

April and her mother Cherie heard those screams and called 911.

"It wasn't like a girl screaming. As a mother, a wife, a woman, you now when something is wrong." April said.

April's husband jumped up and went outside while the women ran to the windows.

April: "The guy took off running, tripped and fell out here. The cop asked my husband, what's going on? He's like, the guy's running, go get him."
Lori Fullbright, News On 6: "Like, that's all I know."
April: "The cop takes off and catches him right down there and it was over."

They say that's when they saw the victim limping out toward the ambulance in the street. Police say she still had the belt tangled in her hair and had been raped and bitten on the wrist.

Officers arrested Nectali Santos-Escalante for rape and robbery and put an Immigration hold on him.

April and Cherie hope the victim can recover better, knowing the suspect can't hurt her again.

"If somebody needs help, I believe everyone should try and do something. Don't be afraid of what is going to happen to you. If you can save someone else, you're doing something good.

Police say the victim told them the rapist took her cell phone and two $5 bills from her. The report says officers found a pink cell phone and two $5 bills in Escalante's pocket.