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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A caller tells 911 dispatchers, "This man has kidnapped several women and he has just kidnapped another girl and she ran through my door and asked for help." The man the caller is referring to is Lavatae Evans, who is making quite a name for himself in his north Charlotte neighborhood. He's racked up 11 mug shots in Mecklenburg County over the years. Now, he's accused of kidnapping and raping a 19-year-old on Wednesday. The young woman told police she met 31-year-old Evans at the Transit Center. She went to his home on Brewton Drive in north Charlotte where she says she was assaulted and raped multiple times. She finally escaped to a neighbor's house who called 911. The neighbor told dispatchers, "The lady said he ripped her panties off and raped her, he has bust her in the mouth, he has had her kidnapped there all night long, all she could do was run, she didn't know where to go, she jumped out the window she said." This marks Evans' fifth rape accusation since December. "If somebody see (sic) him, they just look at him, watch what he's doing," says neighbor Akela Mahatha. She says she sees Evans a few times a day, often with women. "It makes me feel uncomfortable because you never know, he might try it with anybody in the neighborhood," she says. Evans' first four rape charges were dropped because victims gave inconsistent statements or didn't let doctors perform rape kits. The DA's office says of this fifth charge, "The investigation is not complete, we hope to meet with a detective later this week. We are hoping for stronger evidence in this case, and we are very aware of Mr. Evans' past." "We definitely know there are people who prey on others over and over," says Karen Parker. She is with United Family Services, an organization that provides rape counseling. Parker is not involved in the Evans case. She says serial rapists figure out what works for them. "That is why it's so important for the community to have a strong response, to hold perpetrators accountable so they know whatever they're using is not going to work again," she says. Evans is in the Mecklenburg County jail under $275,000 bond. |
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