A Lake Stevens man was charged Wednesday with rape and kidnapping for allegedly terrorizing, assaulting and holding two teenagers at his home for more than 10 hours Nov. 1.
A prosecutor has asked that bail remain at $1 million for Jeffrey Martin Winje, 31. Winje was scheduled to appear in court today on two first-degree rape charges, and one charge each of kidnapping and second-degree assault.
Deputy prosecutor Craig Matheson said the teens, a 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl, were tied up in a home in the 11200 block of S. Lake Stevens Road. The girl was repeatedly raped, punched and threatened with a knife, Matheson said.
The two young people were among a group of teens who attended a Halloween party at the home. The two victims fell asleep at opposite ends of a couch, and the boy woke up around 2 a.m. with Winje choking him, Matheson said.
The boy was told: “My choice is I’m going to have to kill you right now or you have to do what I say,” Matheson said.
According to court documents, Winje tied the boy up to a chair in the kitchen using rope and tape, and then tied a bandana over his mouth. Winje had been drinking heavily, Matheson said.
Meanwhile, the girl was still sleeping, and awoke to Winje shaking her and removing her clothes, Matheson said.
“She began screaming for help, but the defendant told her there was no one around to help her,” Matheson said.
During the attacks on her, she was punched in the face several times, resulting in a bloody nose, Matheson said.
She also was tied to a chair in between assaults, Matheson said.
Winje began cutting his own wrists, at first superficially and then deeper, Matheson said. Besides threatening the teens with death, he talked about committing suicide, Matheson said.
About 10:30 that morning, two friends realized that the girl was not in school. They drove by the suspect’s house and saw her car still in the driveway. One of her friends used a ladder to enter the home’s second story and saw Winje and the boy still tied up, Matheson said.
The girl saw the friend and mouthed, “Call the cops,” Matheson said.
Winje saw the friend and told him to get out, the deputy prosecutor said. The police were called a few minutes later.
Sheriff’s deputies surrounded the home and a hostage negotiator made contact with Winje, Matheson said. He let the teens go an hour later, and he eventually surrendered.
Winje was convicted in 1994 of assault for striking a sleeping man in the head with an ax, and he was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison. He had been drinking before the 1994 assault, Matheson said.
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
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