Police charged a Pittsburgh man, home for the New Year's holiday, with the rape and attempted murder of a woman inside a Philadelphia parking garage.
Steven Woodson, 32, is facing rape, attempted murder, robbery, aggravated assault and related charges in the violent assault that took place Thursday morning on the second floor of a parking garage located at 17th and Callowhill streets in the city's Spring Garden section shortly before 11 a.m.
"I believe the motive here was a robbery and I think he took advantage," said Lt. Anthony McFadden.
The 33-year-old woman, who Philadelphia Police said was visiting from out of town, suffered multiple injuries during the daylight attack, which occurred as locals and tourists headed to New Year's Day events throughout the city. Medics transported her to Hahnemann University Hospital, where she was treated and released.
She told investigators that she thought her attacker was going to kill her.
Woodson approached the the woman from behind, placed his hand over her mouth and demanded money, police said. The woman offered Woodson her purse, but he stated that he only wanted cash, according to investigators.
The suspect then choked the woman until she lost consciousness, investigators said. The woman awoke between two parked cars with the suspect on top of her demanding she remove the battery from her iPhone, which cannot be done, investigators said.
He then beat the woman on her face and head until she once again lost consciousness, police said.
Woodson then sexually assaulted the woman, according to police.
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Once she regained consciousness, she managed to break free and moved toward a vehicle that had just driven into the garage to ask for help, officials said.
A witness chased the suspect but lost him around the 400 block of North 17th Street, investigators said. Officers then stopped Woodson on the same block — just 10 minutes after the assault.
Investigators brought Woodson in for questioning at the department's Special Victims Unit in Hunting Park Thursday and eventually charged the 32-year-old with the beating and rape.
Detectives spent hours Thursday dusting for fingerprints and collecting evidence, like sunglasses and clothing, left behind after the assault.
Sources said Woodson, a Philadelphia native, was home visiting family for the holidays when he carried out the assault.
Court records from the Pittsburgh area show Woodson spent four months in jail after being charged with indecent exposure, open lewdness and harassment from an incident last May. He posted bail in September and that case was pending a jury trial.
The garage borders the Community College of Philadelphia's campus, but is not part of the school.
Neighbors said the garage is staffed 24 hours a day and were shocked to hear about the assault.
"I'm very surprised. I've lived here three and a half years and I've never had an issue," resident Alexis Tannenbaum said. "I feel very safe in the building and the parking lot."
Another neighbor, Susan Goodman, said she regularly goes into the garage alone, but that's about to stop.
"I've lived her about six weeks. I've walked in and out of the garage alone all the time," she said. "I do, but I won't."
