Man acquitted of attempted rape

98-year-old woman was attacked last spring in her Rodgers Forge home

ABaltimore County jury found a man not guilty Monday of trying to rape a 98-yearold woman in her Rodgers Forge home last spring but convicted him of assault, burglary and other charges after a four-day trial.

Paul Earnest Howard Jr., 51, was accused of entering the woman’s home last April by posing as a worker who could fix her roof. After several hours of deliberations, jurors convicted him of first-degree assault, firstdegree burglary, theft and false imprisonment, according to the Baltimore County state’s attorney’s office.

Howard was acquitted of attempted firstand second-degree murder, attempted firstand second-degree rape, and robbery.

Deputy Baltimore County State’s Attorney John Cox said Monday evening that prosecutors “accept the verdict of the jury,” but he declined to comment further. Sentencing will likely take place within the next month, but no date has been set, Cox said.

In closing arguments Monday, defense attorney Gayle L. Robinson told jurors that she knew the case was “emotionally charged” because of the victim’s age. But Robinson said prosecutors charged her client with offenses for which they didn’t have evidence, “throwing in the kitchen sink and seeing what sticks.”

The prosecution did not prove that Howard tried to rape or kill the woman, Robinson said.

The victim — who took the witness stand last week — suffered a fractured hip in the attack, prosecutors said. In closing arguments Monday morning, Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa Dever said that on an April afternoon last year, Howard went to the woman’s house and told her he had done work for her neighbor and noticed problems with her roof.

Once Howard was inside, the woman gave him a small amount of cash and a $40 check, Dever said. When he left, she thought he was going to buy materials.

But according to the prosecution, Howard became agitated because he wanted more money and didn’t know where he could cash the check. He returned to the woman’s house, taking cash and blank checks from her bedroom, Dever said. He became angry when she wanted him to leave and threw her to the ground, she said.

Howard ripped the woman’s phone from the wall, but she used a medic alert bracelet to get help, prosecutors said.

When firefighters arrived, the first thing the woman told them was that her attacker had tried to rape her, Dever said.