MOBILE, Ala. – A young man is in custody on “very serious charges” after reportedly raping, robbing and torturing a college student in south Alabama earlier this month.
Elijah Persons, 18, was identified as the perpetrator, according to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. He knew the woman he is accused of attacking and had planned to meet her in the small town of Semmes, which is approximately 20 miles northwest of Mobile, on Tuesday, Oct. 4, FOX10 TV reported.
According to investigators, the female victim was waiting in her car when a masked man in a hoodie and bandana over his face got in her car, held her up at gunpoint and violently raped her.
“Other parts of this crime are unspeakable — which point to the sexual torture charge,” according to FOX10.
The woman reported the horrendous crime to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. During the preliminary investigation, detectives developed Persons as a “person of interest.”
Investigators questioned Persons, seized his phone as evidence and ran a digital forensic analysis on it. As a result, he quickly became the “only suspect” in the case.
Detectives responded to Persons’ place of employment on Friday in order to take him into custody. As they arrived, he fled and a brief foot chase occurred before he was caught, and arrested, FOX reported.
Persons faces several charges, which include first-degree sodomy, first-degree rape, first-degree robbery, sexual torture/abuse, attempting to elude and resisting arrest.
“These are very serious charges, especially of a sexual nature,” MCSO Lt. Mark Bailey said. “We’ll be asking – the D.A.’s Office is the ultimate entity that will request a bond amount, if any – but we will be asking for the highest bond amount possible.”
The bond hearing is set for Monday morning.
