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Woman Raped By Home Invaders As Son Slept in Next Room, Prosecutors Say

By Erica Demarest | September 20, 2016 2:10pm
 Dawon Russell, 16, is charged as an adult with home invasion and aggravated criminal sexual assault.
Dawon Russell, 16, is charged as an adult with home invasion and aggravated criminal sexual assault.
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COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — As her son slept in the next room, a 30-year-old woman was raped at knifepoint by two burglars during a Roseland home invasion last week, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The attack happened Sept. 14 shortly after Dawon Russell, 16, and two accomplices entered the 30-year-old woman's home through a kitchen window, according to prosecutors.

The trio headed to the woman's bedroom, where they found her asleep, Assistant State's Attorney Melissa Howlett said during a bond hearing Tuesday.

That's when Russell woke up the woman, claimed he had a gun and threatened to shoot the victim if she didn't have sex with him, prosecutors said.

Russell and one of his accomplices, who was wielding a kitchen knife at the time, then proceeded to rape the woman, Howlett said. The third accomplice acted as lookout.

Authorities have not named the two accomplices. But prosecutors believe all three are responsible for stealing a laptop, iPhone, purse and car keys while inside the home in the 9600 block of South Prairie Avenue.

When the attackers left, the victim immediately called her husband to report what happened. She then grabbed her son — who'd been sleeping in the next room during the attack — and ran to a neighbor's house for help, prosecutors said.

A rape kit was collected at a nearby hospital.

Police were able to trace the victim's iPhone to one of the accomplice's homes, where officers located several of the victim's belongings, prosecutors said. That accomplice, who acted as lookout during the rape, is a juvenile, according to authorities. Additional details about possible charges were not immediately available Tuesday.

Russell, meanwhile, was arrested during an unrelated burglary in the area, court records show. He was carrying the victim's car keys at the time and later confessed to raping and robbing the 30-year-old woman before driving away in her car, authorities said.

No details were available Tuesday about the second alleged rapist.

Russell, of the 5600 block of South King Drive, is charged as an adult with home invasion and aggravated criminal sexual assault.

According to his public defender, Russell is a high school sophomore who plays basketball.

Cook County Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil on Tuesday ordered Russell held in lieu of $400,000 bail.

Police do not release mug shots of juveniles, even though Russell has been charged as an adult. 

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