A 54-year-old man accused of raping and beating a 63-year-old woman in Lacey last week is being held in the Thurston County jail without bail.
County prosecutors charged Ryan D. Bezon with three felonies on Monday, including first-degree rape, first-degree assault and second-degree assault.
The charges stem from an Oct. 9 attack that occurred at about 3:45 a.m. on the 4000 block of Pacific Avenue Southeast. Police responded to the scene at about 9:45 a.m. and found the woman beaten and bloodied in an alleyway, according to court records.
First responders transported the woman to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia where she was stabilized, Lacey police Sgt. Shannon Barnes said Sunday.
Judge Carol Murphy found probable cause for the alleged crimes on Friday and ordered Bezon be held without bail, saying there was "clear and convincing evidence" that Bezon has a "propensity for violence that creates a substantial likelihood of danger to the community."
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jessica Shen asked the court to deny bail for Bezon, citing an interview with a police detective.
"The defendant is alleged to have violently assaulted and sexually assaulted the victim," Shen wrote. "He admitted to striking her on the head in the interview, yet did not seek medical attention for her injuries. His interview shows no remorse."
Bezon has no prior felony convictions, according to a pretrial report. However, Bezon does have various misdemeanor convictions dating back to 1989, including third-degree theft, driving while license suspended and more.
The investigation
A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the alleged assault from the perspective of law enforcement.
An officer arrived at the scene at about 9:50 a.m. Oct. 9 and observed the woman lying on the sidewalk on her right side, according to court records. Her face was reportedly covered in dry and fresh blood, she had several bruises on her face and her eyes were swollen shut.
The officer spoke with a local business owner who initially called 911. The business owner told the officer that the woman often spent the night sleeping near his business, and he checked on the woman after an employee noticed blood near her.
The bleeding woman reportedly told the business owner that someone knocked her teeth out. The officer tried to speak with the woman but found it difficult to understand her, according to the statement.
The officer later reviewed security camera footage from a nearby business. He reported the video shows a white man with a mohawk watching the woman for several minutes before throwing a rock at her, according to the statement.
The officer reported that the man gets on top of the woman and starts striking her face in the footage. He then allegedly proceeds to sexually assault her.
The footage shows the man wearing green cargo pants, a camo pattern sleeveless shirt with a gray, long-sleeve shirt underneath, leather work boots and a blue gator mask around his neck, the officer reported.
Additionally, the man reportedly had a ruck sack-style backpack that held a small white and black dog.
Police began searching for the man and notified other law enforcement agencies. On Oct. 10, an Olympia police detective identified the man as Bezon and informed Lacey police that he was located and detained.
A detective interviewed Bezon at the Lacey Police Department. Bezon allegedly admitted to having sex with the woman to fulfill her "rape fantasy," according to the statement. The detective said he claimed the incident was consensual and he paid the woman $8.
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