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LUZERNE — A Luzerne Borough man accused last month on allegations he held a woman against her will for two weeks was arraigned Monday on rape related offenses.
Robert Betts, 59, of Main Street, was charged by detectives with the Luzerne County district attorney’s office and Luzerne Borough police of raping the woman inside his apartment in late October and early November, according to court records.
The woman escaped Betts’ apartment on Nov. 2 when she ran into a hair salon for help.
Investigators say the woman had facial injuries and her left eye was nearly swollen shut when she ran into the salon.
During an interview with investigators, the woman claimed she was homeless and Betts allowed her to stay in his apartment.
She alleged Betts continuously strangled her, threatened her with a knife and other items and punched her in the head not permitting her her leave his apartment for two weeks.
Investigators in court records say the woman reported Betts got onto his knees telling her he “loves her and was doing this out of love” and often referred to her as his “queen.”
She claimed Betts forced her to smoke crack cocaine and raped her, court records say.
After the alleged sexual assault, Betts told the woman to get dressed as they were going to a store.
She got dressed and managed to escape Betts’ apartment who chased her until she ran into the hair salon, court records say.
Investigators say they obtained surveillance footage allegedly showing Betts assaulting the woman.
A search warrant was served at Betts’ apartment where investigators seized six pipes commonly used to smoke illicit drugs, 11 packaged bags of suspected crack cocaine, bed sheets with suspected body fluid and blood stains, a pillow case with suspected blood stains, a shoe horn and a small wooden bat, court records say.
Betts was arraigned by District Judge Rick Cronauer in Luzerne County Central Court on charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated assault, sexual assault, terroristic threats, strangulation, reckless endangerment, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of simple assault. He was jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $250,000 bail.