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Gun Held To Baby's Head During Wal-Mart Rape, Report Says

Arrest Affidavit Says Rape Lasted 25 Minutes

POSTED: Thursday, April 10, 2008
UPDATED: 6:44 am EDT April 11, 2008

A 24-year-old man held a gun to the head of a 15-month-old girl while he raped her mother for 25 minutes in a Wal-Mart parking lot, according to an arrest report.


IMAGES: Assailant Arrested | ATM Images

David Welker is accused of raping a woman in broad daylight at a Wal-Mart parking lot located on John Young Parkway after forcing her into her car at gunpoint.

The gun was placed against the child as Welker raped the woman twice, Thursday's arrest report said.

The document also said "he ordered her to dump out her purse. He then took her cellular phone, her debit card" and $70 in cash.

Tip Led To Arrest

Crimeline tips led detectives to Welker after photos apparently showing him at an ATM were released to the public earlier in the week.

"This is huge," Orange County sheriff's Sgt. Rich Mankewich said. "Obviously, he caused fear in a lot of people over the last day and a half. We needed him off the streets."

Detectives said they have a solid case against Welker. Investigators said they found a gun and a sport utility vehicle believed to have been used in the crime.

"We have (also) recovered the jacket he was wearing when the picture was shown and he was trying to hide his face," Mankewich said.

Attack Caught On Video

Deputies said Welker was sitting around the Wal-Mart looking for a target before the attack.

"We have him on video up to a half-hour before this crime occurred just sitting in front of the store looking around, checking out his surroundings, then he chose his victim that he wanted," Mankewich said.

Welker robbed the woman, locked her in the trunk of her vehicle and drove off in a sport utility vehicle, deputies said. The woman escaped from the trunk, drove home and called 911, deputies said.

"She had a baby with her, so it made for a perfect target. She's not going to resist with a 1-year-old baby in her arms," Mankewich said. "She did the right thing. She survived the encounter, and she's able to talk to us and give us a description of this guy."

The child was not harmed.

"That just totally scares me to death," shopper Cindy Isbell said. "It's terrifying. I don't know what I would do."

Arrested 27 Times

Meanwhile, Local 6 has learned that Welker has been arrested 27 times before being taken into custody in connection with the Wal-Mart attack.

When he was 18-years-old, he was arrested twice on theft charges.

Other charges include battery on an elderly or disabled person and grand theft auto. But this is Welker's first sex crime arrest, Local 6 reported.

"This guy has been through the system so many times, he knows not to talk to the police about anything," Orange County sheriff's Sgt. Rich Mankewich said

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

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