Police seek man accused of raping, beating Cape Girardeau woman

Editor's Note: The spelling of Darin Hickey's name was corrected below.

A man is being sought for allegedly raping and assaulting a woman inside her home before chasing her on foot and beating her on the head and face Tuesday.

Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said police responded to a call around 2:25 p.m. in the 1000 block of Independence Street. Onlookers had reported a fight was in progress, "with a male striking a female."

By the time officers arrived, the assailant had escaped on foot and was nowhere to be found, Hickey said. So police began to interview the victim about what took place.

"She said the guy forced his way into her home just after 1 o'clock and assaulted her physically and sexually," Hickey said.

The woman also told police the man, whom she knows, wouldn't let her leave the house. However, she escaped around 2 p.m. and began running down the street, with the man following close behind her. That's when he started striking her head and face and witnesses called police.

Hickey could not disclose whether the man was a boyfriend or relative of the victim.

"I won't go into details of the relationship," he said, because charges have been submitted to the prosecuting attorney's office and the investigation continues.

Hickey did say a child was in the woman's home while she was being assaulted.

Charges pending against the alleged assailant include forcible rape/forcible sodomy, domestic assault, burglary, felonious restraint, endangering the welfare of a child and violating an order of protection.

No names will be released until charges have been filed or a warrant has been issued in the case, Hickey said.

Pertinent address:

1000 block Independence Street, Cape Girardeau, MO