Convicted Rapist Indicted On 2 Rapes, Charged In A 3rd
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Hennepin County officials say a previously convicted rapist who was released from prison last spring has been indicted on several felony counts for allegedly raping two women in December. He also faces charges from a third rape case stemming from last summer.
Keith Eugene Washington, 39 of Minneapolis, was indicted by a grand jury last Thursday for allegedly raping two women in Uptown on the night of Dec. 6, the county attorney's office said. He was also charged with raping another woman in July.
Per the indictment, he faces a total of 13 counts, including four counts of first-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct. If convicted in any of the rapes, Washington would face a mandatory life sentence, because he'd be a repeat offender, the attorney's office said.
Washington was previously convicted of rape in 2000, when he was accused of choking a woman and sexually assaulting her.
The rapes on Dec. 6 happened in the early morning hours near the Uptown area of south Minneapolis. In one case, the victim was walking on the 2800 block of Emerson Avenue South when she said Washington attacker her and started choking her until she passed out. He then sexually assaulted her.
Two passers-by heard the victim's screams and tried to intervene. They told police that Washington said "she's fine" and pointed something at them. They fled the scene and called police.
When officers found Washington, his pants were covered with dirt and he had the victim's phone and ID in his possession. On him were also the phone, ID and groceries of another woman who was raped hours earlier.
Along with facing criminal sexual conduct counts in the December attacks, Washington was also indicted on counts of assault, aggravated robbery and kidnapping.
The county attorney's office also charged Washington last week in a rape case stemming from July 23. In that case, Washington is accused of raping a woman who had been seeing him since he was released from prison in May.
As in the other cases, Washington is accused of choking the victim until she was unconscious and raping her.
Washington made his first appearance in relation to the July case on Monday.
