A specialist stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, faces rape, assault, kidnapping and burglary charges after police say he broke into the home of a fellow soldier Nov. 29 and physically and sexually abused her for hours in her bedroom before the woman called 911.
Spc. Joshua Gerome Thomas, 23, had a "brief sexual relationship" with the woman before he deployed to Afghanistan in March, according to court documents. The woman, whose name does not appear in the documents, told police she ended that relationship upon his return in October, and "instead they maintained a friendship."
The evening of Nov. 28, the woman didn't immediately respond to text messages sent by Thomas, she told police, and the tone of his texts "became increasingly angrier." Less than three hours after the last text, court documents say, the woman awoke to see Thomas opening her bedroom door.
As Thomas tried to lock the door behind him, the report states, the woman dialed 911 but couldn't complete the call before he grabbed the phone and hung it up. Thomas allegedly demanded she unlock her phone so he could see whether she'd been texting another man, then laid on top of her to trap her in her bed until they both fell asleep.
When they awoke, the woman allegedly tried to escape by biting and punching Thomas, at one point reaching the stairs of her apartment complex before being dragged back inside, according to the report. She told police that Thomas sexually assaulted her and "continued for the next several hours to rub her legs, hips and breasts."
After agreeing to unlock her phone, the woman told police she escaped, borrowed a neighbor's phone and called 911 again. Police caught Thomas fleeing the scene a short time later. He then told police he'd "forced the door open to gain access to the apartment," according to a court filing.
KOMONews.com was among local media outlets that reported the story Tuesday, a day after Thomas made his first appearance in Pierce County Superior Court.
His trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 20, with a pre-trial hearing set for Jan. 9, according to the court's website; he remained in custody in the county jail as of Friday.
Thomas joined the Army in 2012, personnel records show.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
