Man Accused of 4th Rape in 3 Months

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by Morgan Fogarty
Bio | Email | Follow: @MorganFogarty

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - 32-year-old Lavatae Evans Facebook page lists his interests as money.  His arrest record might indicate an interest in crime.  Dating back to 2009, he's been arrested for assault, failure to pay child support, marijuana, and more.  In December, he was charged with raping three women.

On Wednesday, he was arrested again.  Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say this arrest involves a woman Evans once lived with.  She says she agreed to smoke pot with him and then after, Evans showed her a gun and forced her back to his home in the 2000 block of Brewton Drive in north Charlotte.  The woman told police that's where Evans raped her. 

It remains to be seen how far this case will advance.  The previous rape cases against Evans were dismissed.  The Mecklenburg County District Attorney's office sent FOX Charlotte the paperwork that outlines why.  In one instance, the victims gave inconsistent and contradictory statements.  They also left the hospital before sexual assault kits were collected from them.  In another, the victim didn't avail herself to medical treatment or let the state collect evidence.  She left the hospital before a sexual assault kit could be collected.

"Just the fact gathering process, all of that can be very overwhelming to a person who may just have wanted medical attention, didn't realize that they had all these other options," says Brandy Stephens, Director of Counseling at United Family Services.

She cautions against judging an accuser who backs off an initial claim.  "That doesn't mean the crime did not happen, it just means they cannot continue forward."  She also says suspects can influence victims.  "They have a variety of tactics, verbal intimidation, stalking."

The DA's office tells us with this latest claim against Evans, "We are evaluating evidence very carefully and looking to see what charges we can pursue.

Evans remains in jail under $235,000 bond.  He'll be in court Friday for a first appearance.

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