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Columbus Police Arrest Man Suspected Of Raping Several Women

Authorites say a man they arrested last week is also linked by DNA to two more investigations.

His name is William Jerome Jarrett of Columbus.  He’s charged with rape and kidnapping of a 42-year old woman.

He has a face that one woman 10TV spoke with says she knows well. She asked to remain anonymous her face for her safety.

"You can't forget a face like that," she said.  A man who this woman says she remembers from her store.

"He's a frequent person you chase out of the lot (for) begging for money," she says.

On the morning of July 2nd, she says a woman came to a White Castle on West Broad Street asking for help.  The woman told her she was raped.

"She didn't look injured, she just looked out of breath," she says.

She called 911 and that was the last she heard about the case until 10TV showed her the suspect’s mug shot and told her of his arrest.

In September of 2013, two other women claimed to be raped by the same man.  Police say DNA from all three cases came back to William Jarrett.

"In the most recent case, it was violent.  He threatened to kill her by choking her, so he grabbed her and physically moved her from one location to another," says Sargent David Pelphrey of the Columbus Division of Police.

Police say Jarrett was never convicted in the 2013 cases because the victims never followed up with police.

Now, police hope Jarrett's mug shot will lead those women and others to come forward and hopefully solve these rape cases.

"The cases are active again because he's offended again.  Now we're bringing all three cases to the attention of the prosecutor,” says Pelphrey.

The case has not been easy for police.

According to the prosecutor, the suspect has refused six times to attend his arraignment.

In an unusual case, the prosecutor says he's filed paperwork with the judge to have the suspect forcibly brought to court. If that doesn't work, the judge may have to go to the jail cell to conduct the arraignment.

The suspect is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

Authorities are asking if anyone else may have been a victim to Jarrett to call Detective Siniff at 614 645-2379.

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