A stranger offered to carry an elderly woman’s groceries before barricading her in her Oregon home and raping her repeatedly over three days over Christmas.
Kenneth Gregory Williams, 69, was arrested after he allegedly approached the 74-year-old woman as she returned home from the grocery store and offered to carry her bags back to her home in downtown Portland on Dec. 23.
After returning to her home, he held her against her will and sexually assaulted her over the three days surrounding Christmas.
“These cases are incredibly rare, but of course they can happen,” said Mike Benner, spokesman for the Portland Police Bureau Fox 12 News.
‘We can’t imagine what this woman has been through. It’s gruesome, terrifying, you name it.’
The unidentified woman got off public transportation at 9th Avenue and was heading home from the grocery store when she had to stop to rest from the weight of the bags.
A “nice” stranger, whom detectives later identified as Williams, offered to help her carry her bags the rest of the way.
Although initially reluctant, the woman agreed to the seemingly friendly gesture, unaware that it would lead to a three-day nightmare.
Kenneth Gregory Williams, 69, was arrested after he allegedly barricaded a 74-year-old woman in her Oregon home and repeatedly raped her for three days after offering to carry her groceries on December 23.
Williams allegedly approached the woman in downtown Portland and offered to carry her groceries after noticing her weight was bothering her
Once inside, Williams allegedly blocked the door from the inside and prevented her from leaving.
The woman told authorities that over the next three days, from December 23 to 25, she was repeatedly raped by Williams.
She was able to convince him to leave her home on December 26, when she immediately sought medical attention at a local hospital.
Portland officers located Williams on Jan. 5 and booked him into the Multnomah County Jail on charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree kidnapping and three counts of first-degree rape.
The barbaric incident sparked fear among community members, especially those walking alone through downtown Portland.
“I try not to be alone at night, I take my dog with me and I carry a club,” resident Tabitha Peterson told Fox 12. “Foesje is very important because you never know these days.”
“I’m overly aware of my surroundings sometimes,” Peterson added. “It’s better to be safe than sorry, because I’ve been followed before and almost kidnapped once.”
Authorities are also investigating Williams on allegations of an unrelated rape.
The elderly woman was able to receive medical attention after convincing Williams to leave her home on December 26
Williams was booked into the Multnomah County Jail and pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree kidnapping and three counts of first-degree rape
Additionally, detectives believe there may be additional unreported cases involving the 69-year-old man, prompting them to publicly release his mugshot.
They urge anyone who may have been a victim or those with additional information about Williams to contact Detective Michael Bledsoe at michael.bledsoe@police.portlandoregon.gov with reference number 24-332946.
Williams appeared in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Monday charged with assaulting the elderly woman and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecutors have asked Judge Christopher Ramras to schedule a protective custody hearing for Tuesday, where a judge will decide whether Williams should remain in jail while the trial is pending. Oregon Live reported.
Williams will be arraigned on the charges on January 14.
“This is a case where this man had bad intentions and took advantage of a woman who just wanted help,” Benner told Fox 12.
The December incident is not the first time Williams has been in trouble with the law.
According to court records, he was previously arrested in June 2014 for harassment and menacing, Fox 12 reported.
The horrific incident comes just two months after a 63-year-old man was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old runaway in downtown Portland
In 2008, he was arrested again for coercion and tampering with a witness.
Additionally, Williams had multiple drug, theft and/or felony arrests between 1994 and 2008.
The horrific incident comes just months after a 63-year-old man was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old runaway girl in downtown Portland, Oregon Live reported.
The teenage victim, who told police she had run away from home, lost her phone in early October while trying to find her boyfriend, who normally stayed in shelters.
George Dee Moon, 63, reportedly saw the young girl crying and took her back to his apartment building after befriending her, promising he would help find her boyfriend.
Moon claimed he was in his 30s, and the girl responded with her real age, believing he was an “old man” who would not harm her.
She eventually fell asleep on his bed and woke up to Moon yelling at her that she was the “devil.”
When she got up to leave, Moon allegedly restrained her, took off her clothes and sexually assaulted her as she begged him to stop.
The teen was able to escape from his apartment around 2:15 a.m., when she told a manager and a security guard at the front desk that she had been raped before asking for a taxi.
The apartment complex manager told investigators they had received several similar reports involving Moon, but the teenage girl was the first victim to talk to police about her assault.