SEATTLE — A Seattle man was charged last week in King County Superior Court with raping a homeless woman in her tent underneath the University Bridge.
Prosecutors said Mason L Sasnett, 19, was armed with a switchblade on March 22.
Prosecutors said the woman awoke to find Sasnett inside her tent putting on a condom with his pants down.
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The woman told police she used to be in a relationship with Sasnett, but now shares the tent with her current boyfriend who was not there during the attack.
When the woman tried to get away, prosecutors said Sasnett punched her and grabbed her breast. Prosecutors said Sasnett used the knife as part of the rape. Doctors confirmed lacerations during an examination.
Police said woman continued to fight with Sasnett until he eventually ran off and left in the passenger seat of a nearby car.
He was located the next day on University Way Northeast and was arrested.
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Sasnett was then booked into the King County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail. His arraignment, where he will enter a plea, is expected later this year.
In their request for bail, prosecutors cited the violence of the assault and Sasnett’s criminal history, which includes a pending assault charge and two instances of violating the pretrial anti-harassment order.
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