| Updated: 9/25/2012 10:56 pm |
Published: 9/25/2012 2:41 pm
|
Two women in one week were attacked and sexually assaulted.
One suspect has been caught but another who ambushed and beat up a teenager hasn’t been identified.
"No sexual assault victim is at fault,” said Tulsa Police Sex Crimes Sergeant Mark Mears.
Police said an unknown man attacked a 17-year-old girl in her west Tulsa home on Friday afternoon near W. 51st and S. 33rd W. Avenue.
The teen gave detectives a detailed description and a composite sketch was made.
On Monday, another woman was assaulted near 21st and S. Sheridan Road around 11:00 am.
A few hours later police arrested Jerry Mason, 48, for First Degree Rape.
In both cases the women did not know their attackers.
On Friday around 1:00 pm a 17-year-old girl who was home sick from school heard her dog barking at the back door. She thought he wanted to be let out so she opened the door.
"As soon as she opened the door, the suspect was waiting there to ambush and punched her in the face,” said Mears. "Basically a blitz attacked."
When the girl tried to escape the attacker the violence escalated.
"She rolled over on her stomach trying to get away from the blows. He took a kitchen glass and began smashing it in the back of her head until she went unconscious,” said Mears.
When she woke up her clothes were torn and she was disoriented. Neighbors believe they had seen the man described in the sketch in the neighborhood that week.
Police do not know if he was burglar who found a target of opportunity or if his intent was to commit a violent sex crime.
"He could be a Peeping Tom that has escalated to a rape,” said Mears.
In both cases involving two suspected rapists’ police said these rape victims did nothing that would make them a target.
"Neither of these victims did anything wrong. They were in their own homes. They should have been safe there,” said Mears.
Detectives said Mason’s alleged victim is in her late 60’s. When she answered the knock at the door her attacker was wearing a mask and stuffed a rag in her mouth and sexually assaulted the woman.
Police spoke with neighbors who described Mason and where they had seen him.
This year Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS) reports from January to August there have been 108 stranger or unknown rapes reported to its office.
During the same time period in 2011, there were 88 rapes reported. DVIS also reports there were 47 rape exams in July 2012. The agency reports this is the highest number of rape exams since August 2010.
DVIS offers free help to sexual assault victims.
"The first ingredient to healing is safety and that is hard to achieve,” said DVIS Director of Programs and Counseling Missy Iski. "There is that that frightening thought of 'here is this person who has done this to me and where are they?'"
She said healing a deep scar can start with seeking help.
"It was something done to them. It wasn't because of them and it's not a part of their identity,” said Iski.
An elderly woman was raped at age 48 said at first she didn’t want to admit to anyone she had been raped.
"You can never, ever, ever make total sense of it,” said Dee Jakubowski.
On Mother’s Day weekend in 1996, Jakubowski went to check on the alarm at her Midtown flower shop. A 15-year-old threw her to the ground and raped her.
She said healing is like grieving when you someone you love dies.
"I'm sorry but you are dead. That person that you knew five minutes before this happened is gone,” said Jakubowski.
That attack changed her forever. Like a shattered mirror, Jakubowski felt broken she was ashamed and embarrassed but didn’t want to stay silent. She got help from DVIS.
"It can be a real tool if you can get help and know how to use that anger,” said Jakubowski.
She now volunteers with DVIS and she is one of the first people sexual assault victims see when they go to the hospital for an exam.
"I want them to be okay,” said Jakubowski.
She doesn’t always tell victims her story because she said the trauma is about them and not her.
She said victims will often blame themselves.
"’I keep myself in shape, I run. How did I let this happen?’ I say ‘you didn't.’"
She recommends sexual assault victims keep a journal.
"You don't have to keep digging at it because it is written down and you don't have to remember it anymore,” said Jakubowski.
What she wants any sexual victim to know is that they can recover from this pain but it will take time.
"You are going to be fine. You really are going to be okay. You are going to have to walk this for a while but you are going to be okay," said Jakubowski.
Police said these victims did nothing to be targeted but as a reminder they recommend you lock your doors, don’t answer the door unless you are expecting someone, choose and exit and always have your phone close by.
If you are a victim of a sexual assault or you know someone who is call DVIS at (918) 7-HELP ME (435763)
Police said the victim did a great job remembering specific details about her attacker in west Tulsa.
The rapist is described as a white male, 6’00’’-6’02’’, very skinny, sunken cheeks, very short, balding dark hair, 5 o’clock shadow facial hair. Possibly mid-twenties to thirties, smelled like baby powder. Although there were high temperatures that day, suspect was wearing a black hoodie with the hood up and dark pants.
