Man accused of stealing SUV with kids inside, raping 2 women to appear in court

From Lacey Police Dept./Thurston County Sheriff's Office



THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — Lacey police confirmed to Q13 FOX News on Sunday that the man accused of stealing an SUV with two kids inside in Lacey is also the suspect of two recent rape cases in the Olympia area.

According to Lacey police, tips helped identify the suspect as Curtis Harmon. He was arrested on Thursday by Portland police and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center  before being extradited to Washington.

Harmon will appear at 3 p.m. Monday for arraignment in Thurston County Superior Court.

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said Friday night that  a suspect had been arrested in the rape and robbery of a woman in the Olympia area last weekend, but did not identify the suspect at that time. Once arrested, police interviewed Harmon for a sex assault that occurred March 14 in the 6100 block of Rainier Road SE.

According to police, a 26-year-old female was forced into a secluded area where she was robbed and assaulted. Harmon became a person of interest in the assault.

Then on March 18, a 63-year-old woman reported that while she was walking to the Intercity Transit Center, she was grabbed from behind and pulled off the sidewalk.  The suspect tried to rob the woman, police said, but she had no money.

The suspect then committed a sexual assault against the female before fleeing on foot. Less than an hour later, he allegedly carjacked a vehicle with two young children inside.

Based upon the similarities involving the Thurston County investigation, Lacey investigators interviewed Harmon. Harmon allegedly confessed that he committed the robbery and rape prior to committing the auto theft.