(Update Jan. 16, 5:24 p.m.) Southampton Police said today in a statement that the alleged attack occurred near the lake at the Wildwood Town Park located at 3939 Lake Avenue, Northampton. The original police press release described the location of the alleged attack as “behind the Wildwood bowling alley.”
Original story:
A Wading River man has been charged with attempted rape in the first degree in an attack on a 30-year-old woman behind the Wildwood Lake bowling alley in Northampton Wednesday afternoon.
Southampton Town Police said Richard K. Rause Jr., 30, at about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, held a gun to the victim’s head, punched and repeatedly hit her and then attempted to rape her. The victim was able to fight him off and call 911. The attacker fled before police arrived, according to a Southampton Town Police press release.
Southampton Police, N.Y. State Police, N.Y. State Police K9 and Suffolk County Police helicopters searched the area without success, police said.
Through subsequent investigation, Southampton Town Police detectives identified the assailant as Richard K. Rause, whom they located and arrested at his residence in Wading River yesterday, according to the press release. After being placed under arrest, Rause was handcuffed and placed in the detectives’ police vehicle. A short time later, he exited the vehicle and fled on foot in an attempt to escape, police said. He was apprehended a few seconds later after a brief struggle, according to the report.
Rause was charged with attempted rape in the first degree, a class C felony, criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a class D felony and escape in the second degree, a class E felony.
Rause was transported to Southampton Police Headquarters where he was processed and held for morning arraignment, police said.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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