Texarkana, Ark., police arrested two men recently for allegedly raping and beating a mentally disabled woman.
Vincent DePaul West, 30, and Auston Lindsey, 18, were taken into custody after officers responded to a call about a sexual assault May 31 about 11:30 p.m., according to a probable cause affidavit used to create the following account. The alleged victim was extremely upset when two patrolmen approached her on East 29th Street near County Road.
The woman, known to one of the officers as mentally disabled, reported that she met West and Lindsey at Randy Sams' Outreach Shelter in Texarkana and "believed they were trying to be her friends." At the time, officers noticed the woman's lip was swollen and bleeding.
The alleged victim said she was assaulted in a bedroom of a house in the 3,000 block of County Avenue. Officers found West and Lindsey at the house, and both were arrested. Linens were collected from a bedroom where blood was noted on a bedspread, and a pair of women's silver hoop earrings were recovered.
A witness who was at the house said that earlier in the evening she heard the alleged victim yelling and went to the bedroom to see what was wrong. The witness allegedly saw Lindsey grabbing the woman, but the witness left after Lindsey allegedly told her he was "playing with (the alleged victim) and tickling her."
"(The witness) said around 30 minutes later she heard (the alleged victim) screaming to stop and this is when she observed West hitting her," the affidavit states. "(The witness) said she stopped West at this time and (the alleged victim) left the residence."
The witness reported seeing West punch the alleged victim in the face.
Both men are in custody on charges of rape and battery. Lindsey's bail is set at $50,000 and West's at $75,000. Both are scheduled to appear in Miller County Circuit Court later this month.