An Oklahoma governor candidate was placed under the custody of the authorities over kidnapping and rape allegations.
58-year-old Paul Tay, an independent governor candidate, was reported by the Tulsa Police Department to have allegedly attacked a woman who replied to an ad posted in Craigslist, which is under his campaign team, on Sunday.
The police said Tay volunteered to fetch the woman in Bethany, Oklahoma and drove her to Tulsa instead of Oklahoma City.
“The victim said she tried to get out, but Tay would not let her out of the car,” the police said through a Facebook post. “Instead, Tay hit the victim with a pipe and sexually assaulted her.”
Citing the victim, the police said the governor candidate’s gas was depleted at around 30 miles south of Tulsa. Tay was suspected to have locked the victim inside the vehicle while he begged for some amount of gas.
“The victim said she was afraid to try to get out of the car because he had already assaulted her with a pipe,” police said.
After securing enough cash for gas, the suspect resumed driving the woman into midtown Tulsa where his house is located. There, he was suspected to have sexually assaulted the victim and used a pipe in raping her.
Authorities said the victim had urged Tay that she needed hygiene items and for her to get those at a Walmart store. The woman was able to escape from Tay while they were at the store and asked an employee to help her.
Law enforcers responded to the report and arrested the suspect in the store’s parking space.
He is now facing first-degree rape charge, as well as kidnapping and assault using dangerous weapon, FOX News reported.
According to a report by Tulsa’s KOTV-DT, Tay has already been arrested over theft charges, peace destruction, and obstructing officers, among others.
