COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A Marquette Park man allegedly went on a three-hour rampage one night last month, breaking into the homes of three neighborhood women and trying to rape two.
Rashid Washington, 22, is charged with three counts of home invasion for forcing his way inside the women's residences in the early morning hours of July 21 and two counts of attempted sexual assault for trying to rape to of them, prosecutors said.
The first victim woke up at 2:30 a.m. and spotted Washington staring at her through her bedroom window, Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Bridget O'Brien said in bond court Friday.
When she refused to give him a lighter to light his cigarette, Washington allegedly ripped the screen apart and climbed through the window.
O'Brien said when the woman fell while trying to escape, Washington jumped on top of her and punched her in the face before fleeing.
An hour later, a 39-year-old woman asleep with her young grandson in the 6800 block of South Washtenaw Street awoke around 3:30 a.m. to find Washington standing over her, prosecutors said. As the two struggled, Washington wrapped his hands around the victim's throat and ordered her to leave the room with him.
"He said he was not going to rape her in front on her grandchild," O'Brien said.
Hearing the commotion, witnesses came to the woman's aid, O'Brien said. Washington again allegedly fled.
About 30 minutes later, Washington allegedly attacked a third woman in the same neighborhood.
O'Brien said he snuck into a home in the 7000 block of South Talman Street, walked into a woman's bedroom and climbed on top of her.
Washington again choked the victim, pulling at the covers on her bed with one hand while trying to restrain her with the other.
People heard the victim fighting and came to help, O'Brien said. They struggled with Washington, but he was able to break free.
Washington was arrested Thursday after blood stains on a shirt he allegedly left behind at one of the women's home revealed a DNA match, prosecutors said.
Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. ordered Washington held in lieu of $750,000 bond Friday.
