Second Woman Says She Was Attacked By Accused Lawrence Rapist
BOSTON (CBS) – A 21-year-old Lawrence man is being held without bail accused of abducting and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl walking to school on Boxford St.
There was a heavy police presence around South Lawrence Middle School that was reassuring to young students. "We feel more protected," an eighth grader tells WBZ-TV.
Angel Mateo allegedly held the girl for a terrifying two hours in a second floor apartment on Phillips St. before she was released. "We think we have the right person. There's no continuing threat or concern to the community," said Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera.
Police say the girl took her mother by the apartment with a distinctive red curtain and police quickly made an arrest. They tracked Mateo through a GPS ankle bracelet he was wearing after being accused of extorting an ex-girlfriend with sexually explicit photos back in April.
"The victim, although dealing with a traumatic experience, was crucial in her detail and location of the incident that led to the speedy arrest of a dangerous person," said Lawrence Police Chief James Fitzpatrick.
Police say the arrest of Mateo prompted another woman to come forward pointing to him as the man who attempted to sexually assault her back in May in the same neighborhood. But police didn't connect Mateo at the time because he wasn't yet wearing the bracelet.
Even with an arrest now, parents of students are being cautious. "We're definitely picking her up from school, we don't want her to talk," said Carol White. Mayor Rivera says he's asking for a review of how someone wearing a monitoring device could be allowed to live so close to a school.