Repeat felon charged with trying to rape woman in Bellevue

A felon with a violent criminal history was charged with attempted rape after police say he tried to rape a woman Christmas day in Bellevue.

About 2:25 p.m., the woman saw a man she knew by a dumpster between the Bartell Drugs and Burger King in the 11900 block of Northeast 8th Street. As she walked over, she also noticed another man who she said tried to corner her when she last saw him. She walked away but said the man stopped her from leaving, grabbed her hair and said she was going with him.

That suspect, Edward L. Milne, allegedly said he wanted to rape the 39-year-old woman and a man who called 911 said he heard the woman scream for help.

The woman told police Milne tried to pull her behind a dumpster, and she tried to lock her body in place so he couldn’t move her. She screamed for help and for him to stop, police said.

The woman told police she was able to escape by telling Milne she would walk with him if he released his grip on her.

When police arrived, they said Milne appeared drunk and admitted “I want to rape her.” When told he was going to jail for investigation of attempted rape, Milne laughed and said, “F*** you, I will rape her,” according to court documents.

Milne, 42, has a long history of violent behavior. In 2014, he attacked a stranger with a knife in a Bellevue grocery store parking lot. In 2007, Milne attacked a 7-Eleven clerk in Redmond so badly the clerk needed stitches on his hand. In November of 2017, Milne threw rocks at people in Bellevue threatening to “bust their heads in.” He was also arrested twice in 2019 for trespassing at a Bellevue car dealership, charged with criminal trespass for allegedly sleeping in cars for sale.

Charging documents, which provide those conviction details, also show he has 14 convictions for fourth-degree assault – a domestic violence charge, among other convictions. Milne has been booked into King County Jail 20 times since 2007 and has a history of failing to appear, according to court documents.

He remained there Friday in lieu of $100,000 bail.

© 2020 Cox Media Group