Kidnapping arrest made after man held 62-year-old woman captive

Jeff Raasch

May. 17, 2011 2:02 pm

Police said a man sexually assaulted a woman while holding her captive in his Cedar Rapids apartment for about 10 hours.

William E. Roby, 51, of 143 37th St. NE, Apt. N1, was arrested without incident at his residence Monday afternoon. He is accused of forcing a 62-year-old woman into his apartment around 8 p.m. Sunday.

Sgt. Cristy Hamblin, a police spokeswoman, said Roby and the victim had dated in the past. She said the woman was in the apartment building for a different reason Sunday when Roby saw her and forced her inside his unit.

Police allege that Roby sexually assaulted the woman "various times" while threatening to harm her and her property before releasing her early Monday morning. The woman went to Mercy Medical Center and police were notified.

Hamblin said the woman was treated and released from the hospital.

Roby was arrested on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping. Under Iowa law, first-degree kidnapping involves serious injury, sexual abuse or torture.

Roby was convicted of attempted murder in Webster County in 1991, according to court records. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, but was allowed to go on work release in 2000, according to the Iowa Department of Corrections website.

According to Gary Hinzman with Correctional Services, Roby was on work release in Cedar Rapids from November 1999 to April 2000. His parole ended in June of 2002.

Roby is an employee of Color Web Printers, which is a division of The Gazette Company.