Shreveport Police Dept.

Date: March 13, 2006

Phone: 318/673-6932 Fax: 318/673-6933

Contact: Kacee Hargrave, Public Information Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rape arrests

Shreveport detectives were busy this weekend working two separate incidents involving women who were beaten and sexually assaulted.

The first case involved a 19-year-old woman who was assaulted by a man known to her in the 5700 block of South Lakeshore Drive on Saturday morning about 2:30 a.m.

The woman wanted to leave but the suspect, 23-year-old George R. Thomas Jr. of Shreveport would not allow her to leave. He choked her until she lost consciousness. When the woman woke up, she found she had been tied up and raped. She escaped after he fell asleep.

Thomas was located and arrested without incident. He was charged with aggravated rape and aggravated kidnapping.

The second case involved a 34-year-old black female who was found in a wooded area near 60th Street and Wallace about 7 a.m. Saturday. She was completely nude, had been severly beaten and apparently left for dead.

A passerby heard her moaning and called 911. She was taken to LSU Hospital with severe head trauma and extensive facial injuries.

Detective Collette Kelly, who investigated both of these cases, obtained information that led her to Michael Hawthorne, 45, of Shreveport. After requesting officers be on the lookout for him, patrol officers located his vehicle and took him into custody. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder.

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View all SPD press releases at www.ci.shreveport.la.us/dept/police/spdnews