One day after police made an arrest in a sexual assault from last year, the elderly victim of the terrifying attack is speaking out for the first time.
While NBC10 normally does not identify the victim of a sexual assault, the woman and her family say they wanted to come forward to tell her story.
Back on September 20, police say a man entered the home of Louella Mosley, 82, on South 51st Street. Police say the man stole an undetermined amount of money and then sexually assaulted Mosley, awakening her from her sleep.
“On that night, I was praying, I wasn’t afraid,” said Mosley. “He told me he was going to kill me, I was praying out loud. He was there until a little after 10 until 12, two hours.”
“He actually choked her to the point where she believed she was going to stop breathing,” said Philadelphia Police Captain John Darby. “He actually took some change from a box that we found out later had been given to her by the local church group.”
Police say Mosley managed to push the man off of her. He then fled the scene and Mosley was treated for her injuries, according to investigators.
“I was a mess,” said Mosley. “My lip was split on the inside by him hitting me.”
After investigating for several months, police arrested 55-year-old Robert Ashley Friday afternoon in Drexel Hill. Police say a CODIS match was made between his DNA profile and DNA evidence retrieved from the scene of the crime. Ashley admitted to breaking into Mosley’s home and assaulting her, according to police. Mosley says she always believed police would eventually catch the man who attacked her.
“I am so grateful and I thank God,” said Mosley. “I believed that he was going to be caught.”
Ashley is charged with rape, robbery and other related offenses. Investigators say he was arrested four times prior to September’s incident, including once for another sexual assault.
“I just hope that he’ll get what he deserved,” said Mosley. “I hope they’ll keep him confined long enough to straighten him up for him to be a decent person.”
Mosley underwent both a physical and emotional recovery after the assault. With the help of her family and the closure brought about by the arrest, she now says her sense of security has been restored.
