Rape Case Goes to Grand Jury
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Rape Case Goes to Grand Jury

The rape case against a Centreville man is heading for the grand jury. If later convicted, Rodrico "Rico" Eric Turner, 33, could be sentenced to four life terms in prison.

Fairfax County police believe that, in the early morning hours of July 27, he attacked and sexually violated a 32-year-old Fauquier County woman in Centreville.

POLICE SAY Turner, of 5507 Bent Maple Lane in the Fair Lakes Glen community, met the woman Saturday night, July 26, at O'Toole's Roadhouse Restaurant in the Pickwick Shopping Center, and she agreed to give him a ride home at closing time. But according to sex-crimes Det. John Kelly, Turner reportedly wanted — and forcibly took — way more than that from her.

He presented details of the alleged incident in an Aug. 1 affidavit for a search warrant to look for some of the victim's personal property in Turner's home. He'd obtained his information, July 27, around 3:30 a.m., in the emergency room of Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, where he was called to investigate a "forcible rape and abduction with intent to defile."

He interviewed the woman, who told him that Turner directed her to the deadend of Summit Street at Bobann Drive, where he then allegedly "made advances toward [her], which were immediately declined," wrote Kelly. "Rico then produced a knife and uttered his demands for intimate contact."

HE WROTE that the woman exited her vehicle, but was then "immediately physically attacked by Rico. A fight ensued, with Rico striking the victim about the face and upper torso with his hands. The victim sustained cuts from the knife to her hands as she defended herself from the blows. The victim was ultimately overpowered and subdued by Rico, who then removed her pants and underpants [and raped and sodomized her]."

Police say Turner then reportedly drove away in the woman's vehicle which contained her pocketbook, car keys, cash, checkbook, credit cards, financial records and wallet.

At the hospital, the woman told police her assailant was a light-skinned black man, 5 feet, 7 inches and 165 pounds, with short, cropped brown hair, "striking" green eyes and the word "Rico" tattooed on the left side of his neck.

Kelly wrote that a consent search of Turner's home allegedly "turned up evidence linking [him] to the said offenses." And on July 29, police obtained forensic evidence from his person. They charged him with rape, two counts of forcible sodomy, abduction with intent to defile, felonious assault and robbery. He's being held without bond in the Adult Detention Center.

Rape and forcible sodomy are each punishable by five years to life in prison, and the abduction charge carries a penalty of 20 years to life. Turner appeared Monday, Dec. 1, in General District Court and, at that time, Judge Michael Cassidy certified all six charges against him to the next grand jury for possible indictment.

Kelly also noted in his affidavit that, according to the Charlottesville Police Department, Turner "was responsible for a series of burglaries" when he resided in that area previously. Det. Blaine Cosgrove, of that police department told Kelly that Turner was arrested for and convicted of statutory burglary there and was sentenced to prison.