WATERVILLE — A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman after he threatened to staple electrical tape to her head is scheduled to appear in court next month, police said.
Eric Lachappelle, 33, of Waterville, was arrested Monday afternoon and charged with gross sexual assault, a Class B felony, and domestic violence criminal threatening, a Class D misdemeanor. He was taken to Kennebec County Jail in Augusta where he was unable to make bail, Chief Joseph Massey said Tuesday.
Police got a call around 12:30 p.m. Monday from the woman, 39, who reported she had been sexually assaulted Sunday night by a man with whom she lives.
Police went to the apartment on College Avenue, where the woman said Lachappelle had come home Sunday night under the influence of what she believed was drugs, and they got into an argument, according to Massey. He wanted to have sex and she refused, he said.
“He threatened her — he also had electrical tape and told her she needed to put the tape around her head and her mouth. Initially she refused and he told her if she didn’t do it he was going to staple it to her head,” Massey said.
Lachappelle was holding a staple gun, so the woman complied and he sexually assaulted her, Massey said.
The woman escaped through a window of the apartment Monday while Lachappelle was still there and called police, according to Massey.
Officers went to the apartment and interviewed Lachappelle, who denied assaulting her, according to Massey.
Based on what she told officers and the physical evidence — the staple gun was found under the bed and her hair was found on the electrical tape — Lachappelle was arrested, the chief said.
Lachappelle is scheduled to appear in Kennebec County Superior Court Nov. 16.
Amy Calder — 861-9247
Twitter: @AmyCalder17
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