Rape suspect arrested
by Audrey Thomasson
KILMARNOCK—A 19-year-old man who had been under surveillance by local police as a suspect in two local rape cases was arrested in Baltimore Monday after he allegedly raped and attempted to murder a woman over the weekend, according to the Lancaster Sheriff’s Department.
Baltimore police arrested Donald Vaughan of Kilmarnock after the victim identified him from a photo. City police said the suspect knocked on the victim’s door on Saturday during the snowstorm and offered to shovel her walkway. Later that day, he returned and forced his way into her house through a side door and sexually assaulted her holding a kitchen knife to her throat. He cut her throat and took $200 in cash and credit cards.
The victim was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital where she underwent surgery, police said.
Local police said Vaughan is the prime suspect in two separate sexual assaults that occurred in Kilmarnock on November 28 and December 1.
Chief investigator Lieutenant Tim Self said Lancaster deputies and Kilmarnock police interviewed Vaughan several times and had him under surveillance for the past two weeks while they waited for forensic evidence to be processed. His parole officer allowed him to go to Baltimore last Wednesday for the Christmas holiday and notified his Baltimore parole officer of his visit.
Lt. Self said Vaughan is originally from Baltimore but moved to Lancaster County to live with his mother.
“We have three officers in Maryland to interview him,” Lt. Self said. “We don’t have any charges against him at this time because we are still waiting for results on DNA. We hope to get the results by Wednesday.”
