Police Continue Search For Dangerous Rape Suspect

One of Tulsa's most wanted criminals escaped capture Thursday morning with the police hot on his trail. Police say he's armed and very dangerous. Catoosa police tried to arrest Dean Beaver early

Friday, November 26th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

One of Tulsa's most wanted criminals escaped capture Thursday morning with the police hot on his trail. Police say he's armed and very dangerous. Catoosa police tried to arrest Dean Beaver early Thursday morning on a rape and kidnapping warrant. But, Beaver and his wife ran from them in a pickup.

Police say Beaver broke into a woman's house near Catoosa around 4:30 am and held her at gunpoint. The victim says the gunman wanted a car, so he and his wife could make their get-away. The woman didn't have a car, so Beaver went to the next door neighbor's house.

"And I told him he needed to drop his gun and we'd talk about it," says Peter Strunk.

Armed with a shotgun, Peter Strunk from Catoosa went toe-to-toe, early in the morning, with an armed man running from police.

"I got over there and I kicked it out of the way. And we talked. His wife then came up and went in our house," says Strunk.

With police bearing down, the suspect quickly grabbed his gun and ran into the woods. In Strunk's house, police arrested the gunman's estranged wife Donna Beaver, for alluding police and harboring a fugitive.

The manhunt began when police tried to arrest Dean Beaver at a home in Catoosa he's accused, in Tulsa, of raping and kidnapping a 16-year old girl in September. Tulsa police arrested another suspect in the rape, Darrell Whitaker last week. Police say Beaver has been very elusive.

"He's been wanted by law enforcement authorities for two weeks now and has been invading capture," says Detective Bob Rohloff.

After escaping the morning manhunt, police believe Beaver traveled about 10 miles and robbed a Tulsa Days Inn. A Days Inn worker gave a description of the armed robber's car to police. Police say the car matches the description of a car stolen earlier in the day from Catoosa. Police say that car was stolen from one of Strunk's neighbors. Strunk says he's glad he was armed to protect his family.

"Without a gun, he could have taken one of my kids, my wife hostage and left," says Strunk.

Police say the man accused, Dean Beaver just wracked up more possible prison time. Police say Beaver has since dumped the car and stolen another car described as a 1993 white Honda with a dent in the trunk. He is believed to be heading to Kansas.