Sexual assault suspect held women at gunpoint, knife point

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Court documents shed light on the terror three Charlotte women say they experienced at the hands of a convicted felon who police say they let go between assaults.

Lavatae Evans, 31, is charged with several felony counts from a sexual assault Thursday morning on Equipment Drive, according to a news release from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Among the charges are sexual assault, kidnapping and armed robbery.

Evans sexually assaulted two women at a motel on Equipment Drive early Thursday morning, said Maj. Vicki Foster with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's sexual assault unit.

Court documents say he held both women at gunpoint and stole one woman's money and the other woman's cell phone.

Foster said after police interviewed the two alleged victims, Evans voluntarily came in for questioning at CMPD headquarters between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

The two women's stories had inconsistencies, and because there was not yet enough evidence to arrest him, CMPD allowed Evans to leave.

Foster said Evans was cooperative and provided police with his address, and they had no reason to believe he would commit another crime just a few hours later.

Upon leaving, Evans met a woman who said she needed directions to Southpark Mall.  The two boarded a bus but took a detour to a home, according to police.

Foster said Evans misled the woman and took her to a residence on Brewton Drive where he sexually assaulted her around 12:30 p.m. Thursday. Court document say she was held against her will at knife point.

CMPD caught up with Evans and arrested him mid-afternoon, Foster said.

When asked if CMPD should have done anything differently, Foster said without a crystal ball, it was impossible to know what Evans was about to do when he left CMPD Headquarters.  She said her officers followed the correct procedure and had no choice but to make an arrest after collecting sufficient evidence and warrants.

Friday night, Evans was still in jail, charged with a total of 13 counts from the two incidents.

Evans was convicted several years ago on several charges, including crimes against nature, second degree kidnapping and robbery.

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