Opinion ID: 3154121
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sarah’s Testimony

Text: In October of 2007, Sarah was employed as a “salad and pizza cook” at Nordstrom’s Café at the Providence Place Mall. On October 27, 2007, she worked until 9 p.m., at which time she changed out of her work uniform and walked to the City Café, a place that she frequented three or four times per week. There, Sarah consumed about four vodka and cranberry juice drinks. At some point during her stay at the City Café, her friend, Matt, arrived and sat next to her until between one and two in the morning. Sarah then left the City Café and walked with Matt to his apartment. The two remained at Matt’s apartment until “sometime before five o’clock in the morning,” when Sarah left because “[i]t was getting late, and the night was over.” Sarah testified that, although Matt offered her a ride home, she declined and decided to walk home because “[they] both had been drinking.” Before leaving, Sarah indicated to Matt that she would send him a text message when she arrived at her apartment to let him know that she had arrived safely. However, she testified that she actually sent him a text message letting him know that she was home and safe “about two and a half blocks, maybe three blocks from [her] house.” She explained that it was not uncommon for her to send such a message when she got close to home, rather than waiting until she arrived. At trial, Sarah explained that, shortly after she sent the text message, a “dark-colored SUV” pulled up next to her, driven by a man with a shaved head who was wearing a white T- shirt. The driver asked if she wanted a ride, to which she replied, “No. I’m all set. Thanks.” She then continued to walk and the car came up next to her again, but this time the driver asked -3- if she “wanted to get high.” She testified that again she replied, “No. I’m all set. Thanks.” She explained at trial that the SUV then turned and she continued to walk, but “a few second[s] later, [she] heard someone yell, ‘Yo, yo,’ behind [her].” She further recounted that, when she went to turn, she was grabbed by the hair on the back of her head and was told: “Now you don’t have a choice.” She testified that she attempted to take her cell phone out of her pocket to call for help, but the man noticed what she was trying to do and grabbed her wrist. Sarah then testified that, after she promised that she would not try to call anybody, the man let her maintain possession of the phone. She recounted during trial that the man dragged her toward the dark-colored SUV, during which time she was attempting to get away and make it “as difficult as possible” for the man to drag her by “trying to move [her] hands    [and] tr[ying] to drop [her] weight to the ground.” She explained that, in response to her challenging gestures, the man struck her in the side of the head, after which she got into the vehicle. Sarah then testified that, when she was placed in the SUV, the man walked around the car and got into the driver’s side. She further testified that she did not attempt to get out of the car, stating, “[a]t that point I was frozen, and the door – I heard the locks go, and I was just too scared to move.” Thereafter, according to Sarah’s testimony, the man drove “about a block and a half, two blocks [and w]hen the car finally stopped, [she] could see her apartment.” She next testified that, when the vehicle stopped, the man said, “[j]ust do what I tell you to do, and I’ll let you go home.” She explained that the man then told her that he wanted her to perform oral sex on him, but she repeatedly refused, causing the man to “pull[] out a gun,    put it in [her] mouth, and [tell her] to hand over [her] bag.” She recounted that she then handed her bag to him; and, after he removed her identification from her wallet, he stated that he had her address and, if she did not cooperate, “he would come and shoot [her] and whoever lived with [her].” Sarah testified -4- that he then forced her to perform oral sex on him. In her testimony, she stated that the man later pointed the gun at her again and told her that he wanted her to take her clothes off. She testified that she complied with his request. Sarah further testified that he then told her to get on top of him in the driver’s seat at which point he forced her to engage in vaginal intercourse. At trial, Sarah stated that the man then told her to perform oral sex on him again, which she did. She testified that the man then pushed her off and stated, “I’m not giving you evidence, bitch.” She further testified that the man then pushed her out of the passenger door, told her to lie on the sidewalk with her face down, and threw her belongings at her. At trial, Sarah testified that once the SUV drove away, she ran screaming toward her house, “slam[med] on the door, and it woke up [her] roommates.” She recounted that when her roommates opened the door, she collapsed, and one of her roommates called the police. After the police arrived, Sarah was transported by ambulance to Women and Infants Hospital. Sarah testified that while at the hospital she gave a statement to police and a sexual assault evidence collection kit was administered, which included a swab of Sarah’s mouth and vagina. Sarah then testified that she was asked by the police to look at photos to identify the perpetrator, but she was unable to conclusively identify the person who committed the offenses. On cross-examination, Sarah confirmed her earlier testimony from direct examination that the man did not pull the gun out while they were on the street. When questioned about statements that she made immediately following the accident, Sarah indicated that she did not remember telling the nurse, EMT driver, or the responding police officer that she was forced into the vehicle at gunpoint, as opposed to having the gun pulled out after she entered the vehicle. -5-