D.A.: HE’S SERIAL RAPIST
SUSPECT BUSTED IN 9 ATTACKS; ARE THERE MORE VICTIMS?
Dejohn Lee, 19, is led out of the Delaware County Courthouse in Media Thursday after being charged in a series of violent sexual attacks on nine women over the last three years.
MEDIA COURTHOUSE >> An alleged violent serial sexual predator had no comment, only an icy forward stare, as he was escorted out of the courthouse Thursday in handcuffs and shackles.
Dejohn Lee, 19, of the 900 block of West Seventh Street in Chester, is accused of stalking and assaulting nine females, raping at least six of them over a three-year period, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan said at a morning press conference. He is charged with two counts of attempted murder, six counts of rape, nine counts of aggravated assault and related offenses involving attacks that occurred in Chester and Chester Township.
“He would terrorize women,” Whelan said, noting that at least one of the victims was a minor.
Among the nine victims was a Delaware County Children and Youth Services employee who was shot in the head when she fought back during an attack in 2015. The woman, whom Whelan believes would have been sexually assaulted had she not fought back, suffered a graze wound and has fully recovered.
Authorities suspect there are additional victims. Lee, a school dropout whose parents are deceased, was 16 when the alleged series of attacks began.
During one attack when Lee was 16, Whelan said, he choked a victim so hard she was rendered unconscious. At the end of his attacks, Lee would say a number and tell the victims to count to that number, to provide him time to make his getaway.
“He’s given us more than we have,” Whelan said, referring to the number of crimes to which Lee has confessed. “We have nine. We think there’s more out there … We are willing to re-arrest him on as many charges as there are victims.”
Evidence against Lee includes DNA, as well as various witness interviews and positive identifications made by victims.
Lee has been incarcerated at the county prison since Jan. 6, four days after the last alleged attack. He was taken into custody by Eddystone police after one of his alleged victims saw him in a grocery store and called authorities.
At the press conference, Whelan identified the woman in the grocery store as victim seven out of the nine. In her case, Whelan said Lee dragged her to a secluded area in Chester.
According to the affidavit of probable cause written by Patrolman Paul Gliem of the Eddystone Police Department, the woman stated she was positive that Lee was the individual who robbed her of $200 and attempted to rape her in Chester. She recognized him because he was former employee of the grocery store. Police stopped and eventually detained Lee for identification purposes. While conducting a pat down, police asked Lee if he was in possession of any weapons, to which he initially responded, “No.” As police continued the pat down, he then stated he had a knife in the right inside pocket of his pants. The officer subsequently recovered a .22 caliber automatic firearm with a partially obliterated serial number. The gun, which had one round in the chamber and eight rounds in the magazine, was later determined to have been stolen during a residential burglary in Earl Township, Berks County, according to the affidavit.
“Due to Lee’s age, he is not eligible to obtain a license to carry a firearm,” the affidavit states. Individuals must be 21 to obtain a license to carry a firearm.
Lee was arrested for a firearm offense. Later, police found him to be in possession of a grinder that contained marijuana residue and a glass vial that contained an Alprazolam pill, for which he had no prescription.
According to Whelan, over the course of three years, Lee preyed on female victims from the early morning hours into the evening. While on foot or bicycle, he attacked women while they were walking or distracted, and forcibly dragged them to secluded locations. One of the criminal complaints filed against Lee described him as 5 feet 5 inches tall, and 140 pounds.
The district attorney said Lee tried to hide his face from the victims. He either wore a mask or pulled a hoodie he was wearing tight around his face. If a victim was wearing a hoodie, he would pull the hoodie around her face.
A time line of the alleged offenses was on display at the press conference. Whelan also offered a brief scenario of all the cases. The women were identified as victims one through nine.
Victim 1 — 10:49 p.m. July 28, 2014, 1900 block of West Seventh Street in Chester. Charges: Rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; aggravated assault and firearms not to be carried without a license. “Lee is 16 years old ... the young woman he rapes is a minor,” Whelan said.
Victim 2 — 12:28 p.m. July 30, 2014, 800 block West Third Street in Chester. Charges: Attempted murder; aggravated assault and related offenses. “He chokes her so hard she is rendered unconscious,” Whelan said.
Victim 3 — 6:10 p.m. March 2, 2015, Sixth and Sproul streets in Chester. Charges: Attempted murder; aggravated assault, firearms not to be carried without a license. After Lee approaches the woman, he tells her to “act like she is his girlfriend,” as he forces her to an isolated spot, Whelan said.
Victim 4 — 1 a.m. Feb. 2, 2016, 1100 block of Concord Avenue in Chester. Charges: Rape; involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; aggravated assault; aggravated indecent assault; firearms not to be carried without a license and related offenses. This attack, Whelan said, occurred at what is known as A Field in Chester, Whelan said.
Victim 5 — 11:23 p.m. Sept. 27, 2016, 1000 block of Townsend Street in Chester Township. Charges: Rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; robbery; aggravated assault; indecent assault; theft; and related offenses. “He takes a gun ... he rapes her, he robs her,” Whelan said.
Victim 6 — 4:17 a.m. Nov. 23, 2016, 900 block of West Ninth Street in Chester. Charges: Robbery, aggravated assault; possession of a firearm prohibited and related offenses. The victim, who was on her way to the gym when she was attacked from behind, “fights back and attracts attention ... he gets scared,” Whelan said.
Victim 7 — 10:01 a.m. Dec. 11, 2016, 500 block of Pennell Street in Chester. Charges: Rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; robbery, aggravated assault; aggravated indecent assault; firearms not to be carried without a license; theft; and related offenses. After she is attacked, the victim is told to “count to 30” so the attacker can make his escape, Whelan said.
Victim 8 — 7:06 a.m. Dec. 18, 2016, 500 block of Dorian Court in Chester. Charges: Rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; robbery; former convict not to own a firearm and related offenses. “He grabs this young lady and pulls her into a playground area,” Whelan said.
Victim 9 — 11 p.m. Jan. 2, 2017, unit block East Seventh Street in Chester. Charges: Rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; aggravated assault; possession of a firearm prohibited and related offenses. The victim is attacked, raped, Whelan said.
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