MCLEAN, Va. — Police have arrested a man in connection to a reported rape at a Vienna hotel on Oct. 1. Police identified the man as 30-year-old Patrick Craig Locke of Washington, D.C.
Officers responded to the hotel in the 8600 block of Westwood Center Drive at 5:30 p.m. to investigate the assault. Police said that Locke entered an unlocked hotel room, physically and sexually assaulted a woman and ran away.
Someone who knows the suspect then saw him and began chasing him. Locke pointed a gun at his acquaintance and ultimately got away.
Police said the woman attacked was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for her injuries.
Fairfax County Police reported Tuesday that the suspect was taken into custody by Metropolitan Transit Police Officers.
Police got ahold of surveillance footage from the hotel and detectives later found additional video of the man entering the Metro at the Eastern Market station. He can be seen switching to the Silver Line at the Capitol South station and exiting at the Spring Hill station. Officers with the Metro Transit Police Department determined he entered the Metro at the Spring Hill station following the assault, and took the Silver Line to Metro Center and switched to the Red Line in the direction of Glenmont.
According to the D.C.-based American Hotel and Lodging Association, when staying in a hotel while traveling, there are some best practices to help keep yourself and other loved ones safe.
- Be sure not to answer the door to your room without verifying who is at the door, and if the person claims to be an employee, call the front desk and ask someone on staff who is requesting to have access to your room and why.
- Keep your room key with you at all times and try not to display it publicly. Notify the front desk immediately if your key is lost.
- Close doors to your room securely and use all locking devices provided.
- Check to see if any sliding glass doors or windows, along with doors to any connecting rooms, are locked.
- Do not invite strangers to your room.
- When returning to your hotel or motel late in the evening, be aware of your surroundings, stay in well-lighted areas, and use the main entrance.
In addition, travelers can purchase other devices to help secure their area during their stay. Click here for four must-have personal security devices.