A city man was arrested for rape and unlawful imprisonment after a woman told police he held her against her will, drugged her and raped her repeatedly for a number of days, according to the city police department.
Officers went about 12:45 p.m. Monday to 13 Brown Avenue after receiving a phone call from a woman who told police she heard a rumour that Raymond C. Cole Jr., 58, who lives in the basement of the home, was imprisoning another woman and forcing her to use drugs, said Lt. Michael Strangeway.
When police arrived, they spoke with Cole outside, Strangeway said. Cole was uncooperative and refused to allow officers inside, he said.
“Officers explained their concern -there was a woman inside or under the influence of drugs, overdosing perhaps,” Strangeway said. “He (Cole) denied that there were any women inside the house.”
As some officers argued with Cole outside, another officer saw a 34-year-old woman emerge out of the back door of the residence, Strangeway said.
The woman told officers Cole held her against her will, injected her with drugs and raped her over the course of several days, according to the department.
The woman was taken to Guthrie Cortland Medical Center for treatment and Cole was arrested for first-degree rape and first-degree unlawful imprisonment, felonies. Police also charged Cole with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor applied against someone found in possession of a small amount of drugs.
Cole is being held in Tompkins County jail without bail, as the Cortland County jail is under renovations, and is set to appear at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in City Court.
