MERRIMAC, MASS. (WHDH) - A 50-year-old man who allegedly forced his way into a home in Merrimac and repeatedly assaulted a woman earlier this month was taken into custody Monday evening.
William S. Raia, of Merrimac, is due to be arraigned in Newburyport District Court Tuesday on four counts of aggravated rape, kidnapping, home invasion, strangulation and assault & battery causing bodily injury on an elderly person, according to the Essex District Attorney’s Office.
Officers responding to a report of a person in distress in the area of Hillside Avenue around 11:10 p.m. on July 3 found a woman who told police she was awakened by a man in her bedroom armed with a knife, officials said.
The woman told police that the suspect threatened her with the knife and repeatedly assaulted her. At some point, she was able to flee the scene to a nearby home, where she called 911.
She was taken to Lawrence General Hospital for treatment following the incident.
The incident remains under investigation.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS for updates online and on-air.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)