A Martinez man has been charged with kidnapping and raping a woman after offering her ride home from The Finish Line Cafe, authorities said.
Dane Walter Lewless, 53, of the 3900 block of Alton Drive, is accused of dragging the 48-yer-old woman out of his car around 2 a.m. Thursday, forcing her into his house and then raping her, according to a sheriff’s report.
The victim escaped the suspect’s home and ran screaming to the Circle K on Washington Road with the suspect not far behind, a report says. Customers saw the woman yelling about the rape and then watched the suspect pull up and ask about the woman.
“He was told that the police were on the way, and he took off running across Columbia Road,” a report says.
Deputies fond the victim inside Circle K with a ripped shirt and “hysterical.” Lewless was later captured and charged with rape, kidnapping and firearm possession by a convicted felon.
The victim told authorities that she had been drinking at The Finish Line Cafe and needed a ride home. Lewless offered her ride to where she was staying but stopped by his house, claiming he needed to pay his babysitter for watching his son. He went inside but returned a few minutes later.
“Dane opened her door and drug her into his residence,” a sheriff’s report says.
After raping her, the victim grabbed her things and ran out of the door, a report says. But Lewless was right behind her, so she grabbed a large rock and smashed the window on his truck.
“This distracted Dane long enough for her to run down the street towards Circle K,” the report says.
Deputies arrived at the store and found the suspect’s abandoned truck parked at pump 7 with the rear window shattered and a large rock still laying on the rear deck.
Paramedics arrived and took the victim to GRU’s emergency room.
