POCATELLO — A 30-year-old Pocatello man was arrested after a woman told police he had forcibly raped and beaten her.
Rob Reyes Chavez is charged with felony rape with force or threat and felony domestic battery with a traumatic injury.
On June 3, around 5:05 p.m., a woman contacted the Pocatello Police Department to report that Chavez, who was known to her, had just “forced himself on her, punched her in the face, and then left the area in a large red pickup truck,” according to court documents.
Officers met with the woman, who said Chavez had shown up at her apartment and followed her up the stairs. She said he yelled at her and struck her in the face.
Chavez allegedly “pushed her into the back bedroom,” where he then raped her.
Officers say the woman had bruises on her face, neck and jawline. According to the woman, Chavez had his hand around her neck to hold her down, and was punching and slapping her during the assault.
The woman told officers there were multiple children in the home during the incident and that they had seen the woman get hit. She said she believed one of the children might seen “a small portion of the rape occur through the missing doorknob on the bedroom door.” She also noted that her downstairs neighbor had heard the incident.
The woman completed a rape kit, but the results are not available.
Around 7:15 p.m., Pocatello and Chubbuck police officers found Chavez at the Riverside Golf Course. Police reports say officers interviewed him, but do not provide details about what was said.
Chavez was arrested and booked into the Bannock County Jail on a $50,000 bond, and a no-contact order was issued for the woman.
He is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on June 16. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.
Though Chavez has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
