A Jessieville man arrested earlier this year for allegedly attempting to rape a 75-year-old woman after chasing her and her granddaughter into the pool house of the woman's condo complex pleaded not guilty to charges Monday.
Sonny Gene Wilson, 32, who lists a Tena Herron Road address, has remained in custody in lieu of $75,000 bond since his arrest Aug. 12. He appeared Monday in Garland County Circuit Court where he pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of criminal attempt to commit rape, punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and misdemeanor charges of first-degree criminal mischief and criminal trespass.
A gag order limiting pretrial publicity in the case and a court order barring Wilson from contact with the victim were both issued Monday by Judge John Homer Wright. A hearing to determine the admissibility of any statements Wilson made to Garland County sheriff's investigators after his arrest is now set for Dec. 16.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim told investigators that on Aug. 12, around noon, she and her granddaughter were swimming at the pool at Lakeside Gardens, 5201 Albert Pike, a condominium complex, when her granddaughter told her she "saw a guy."
The victim said she got out of the pool and saw a white male standing by her golf cart with a blue bag. She told him to leave and that she was calling the police. She said she and her granddaughter went into the pool house, locked the sliding glass door and called 911.
After some time passed, she went out to see if the man was still around and she said she saw him and he ran toward her. She said she ran back inside and locked the door again and called 911 again. She said she and her granddaughter went into the bathroom of the pool house and locked that door.
She said she could hear the man pounding on the sliding glass door and then he was pounding on the bathroom door. She said she tried to hold the door shut, but he forced his way in and grabbed her wrists, saying, "Don't look at me! You're mine!"
She said the man then exposed himself and began molesting her. He put her arms above her head at one point, turned her around against the sink and continued molesting her. She said she kicked at the bathroom door and yelled at her granddaughter to run.
She said her granddaughter ran out of the room as the man tore the victim's bathing suit. She said she was able to break free and run out of the pool house.
She described the man as wearing a sleeveless white T-shirt, green shorts or possibly pants, and a ball cap.
Investigators noted the victim had visible bruising on the top of her left shoulder and on her left elbow.
Deputy Andrew Goodman was dispatched to the complex regarding a suspicious white male near the pool area pulling a blue suitcase. While en route he was advised the victim had called back stating the man was "scaring her" and that she had locked herself inside the pool house. While still on the phone with the dispatcher, Goodman was told the man was attempting to break into the pool house.
Upon arrival, Goodman spotted a white male with a blue suitcase standing outside the entry gate of the condos who identified himself as Wilson. When asked why he was at the condos, he allegedly stated his girlfriend had kicked him out of the car and he was "just walking."
A friend, 58, of the victim's arrived on the scene and said the victim had called him about the incident and was refusing to come out of the pool house. He told Goodman he would pick the victim up in his truck and bring her by so she could identify the suspect.
Deputies noted the sliding glass door of the pool house was pushed in with the screen torn off. They also noted a wooden restroom door was damaged and appeared to have been forced open.
The victim and her friend arrived at Goodman's location and the victim reportedly identified Wilson as the man who had damaged the pool house. Initially, Wilson was arrested on the criminal mischief and criminal trespass charges, but after the victim was interviewed by investigators about the alleged attack the attempted rape charge was filed later that day.
The affidavit notes Wilson declined to be interviewed by investigators regarding the alleged attempted rape. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges on Aug. 14 in Garland County District Court and the case was bound over to circuit on Oct. 7.
Local on 10/24/2019