Police: Man charged with rape, robbery, kidnapping after carjacking a woman, infant at knifepoint
Published 4:09 pm Wednesday, September 28, 2022
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A man faces kidnapping, rape and robbery charges after authorities say he carjacked a woman and her infant in Johnson City, assaulting the woman and leaving the pair in an abandoned residence before fleeing with her vehicle.
The incident began about 3:20 p.m. Tuesday at an ATM at 1806 W. Market St., Johnson City, where police said Christopher Wayne Bennett carjacked the victim at knifepoint, forcing her to drive to an abandoned house on the eastern side of Washington County. The woman’s 1-year-old infant also was in the vehicle.
Once inside the building, officials said the suspect sexually assaulted the victim before leaving in her vehicle.
Investigators used surveillance footage from two local businesses — Trust Bank and the Shell Roadrunner Gas/Convenience Store — and information provided by employees to help identify the suspect, officials said.
Bennett also was charged in connection with the theft of two vehicles on Aug. 22 at AutoKeene’s at 128 S. Broadway St., and the theft of one vehicle on Aug. 10 from 145 S. Broadway St.
Bennett was charged with two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping; aggravated rape; robbery; burglary; three counts of theft of property over $2,500; and violation of sex offender registry. He was being held in the Washington County Detention Center on a $121,500 bond, pending an arraignment on Wednesday.
