AHOSKIE – A suspect wanted in an Ahoskie rape and kidnapping case is behind bars.

On Tuesday afternoon, Ahoskie Police Lt. Detective Jeremy Roberts, with the assistance of Bertie County deputies, arrested Lewis Moore III in connection with the alleged crime that occurred Dec. 20 in Ahoskie.

Moore, whose address was listed as 106 Roger Lane, Ahoskie, stands charged with 1st degree rape, 1st degree kidnapping and assault inflicting serious injury. He was placed in the Hertford County Jail under an $85,000 secured bond.

“We received information that Mr. Moore was hiding out in a specific trailer at Johnny Mack Trailer Park in Lewiston,” Roberts said. “We already had the warrants on file for his arrest so I contacted the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office to assist me since it was in their jurisdiction. I want to thank the Bertie deputies for their help.”

Roberts added that the arrest was made without incident.

At the Hertford County Jail, Moore joins another individual who was arrested on the day of the crime. Debra Ann “Coco” White, 51, of 601B North McGlohon Street was charged Dec. 20 with assault inflicting serious injury and 1st degree kidnapping. She was jailed under a $60,000 secured bond.

The victim, who jumped off a balcony in order to escape her alleged attackers, was treated at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital.

The case against the two suspects began to take shape after a 9-1-1 call to the Ahoskie Police Department was received 11:32 a.m. on Dec. 20.

“The call came from a residence where the victim had apparently walked to following the assault,” Ahoskie Police Chief Troy Fitzhugh said in a Dec. 23 article in the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald.

APD Sgt. Ty Metzler and Officer Tyrone Ruffin answered the call, arriving at the residence where Metzler spoke to the victim. She reportedly told Metzler she had been held against her will, assaulted and raped.

“Sgt. Metzler was able to obtain from the victim the address where this incident allegedly took place,” Fitzhugh said. “Sgt. Metzler went to that residence in the 600 block of North McGlohon Street and spoke to a woman there. The woman was uncooperative with our investigation at the outset.”

Lt. Roberts was summoned to investigate. He reportedly spoke to the victim, gaining information that led him to obtain a search warrant for the McGlohon Street residence. There, Roberts collected what was referred to as “crime scene evidence.”

“From that point forward, the woman at the McGlohon Street residence became cooperative with our investigation,” Fitzhugh said.

Fitzhugh added that Roberts took a photo of that woman and, gaining the name of the male suspect (Moore), was able to use the APD files to produce a photo of that man. Both photos were shown to the victim who, according to Fitzhugh, positively identified the duo as White and Moore.

“Despite what she had just suffered through both physically and emotionally, the victim helped us tremendously,” Chief Fitzhugh said. “I’d also like to thank the person who safely sheltered the victim and made the call to us. That person perhaps saved the victim’s life.”

According to Roberts, Moore was currently on probation for a 2007 Hertford County District Court conviction on drug charges.