A man allegedly rapes a woman in Bay Village and immediately tries to rape another

A Lowell man was accused last week of raping a woman and attempting to rape another woman within an hour of each other in Boston’s Bay Village.

Solomon Wambui, 25, was arraigned this week in Boston Municipal Court on charges of rape and attempted rape. He was deemed dangerous and is being held at the Nashua Street Jail.

According to court documents, the two attacks occurred in the early morning hours of October 26. Both victims were strangers to Wambui.

Around 4:30 a.m., a 26-year-old woman was walking home on Cortes Street after working late when Wambui reportedly approached her on foot. The woman was on the phone with her mother at the time. She allegedly told Wambui to leave and asked for personal space. In response he said to her, “Come with me. I can help you. I can take you home,” prosecutors said.

Wambui then allegedly grabbed her by the front of her neck and from behind. He allegedly dragged her to the ground in front of 17 Cortes St. and sat on top of her. The woman screamed and cried as Wambui raped her, prosecutors wrote. The attack was captured on surveillance footage.

He then fled to Arlington Street. The woman took video of him fleeing down the street while pulling up his pants, and she immediately called 911, prosecutors said. The police arrived on the scene and officers searched the area. They found Wambui a few blocks away, near Eliot Norton Park, with another woman. Police discovered that the woman was Wambui’s second victim, according to prosecutors.

The second woman, a 47-year-old, dropped off a friend at home and walked through the park back to her car. As she crossed Charles Street South, she saw a man walking behind her. She started walking faster, and so did he. Wambui then allegedly cut in front of her, grabbed her by the waist and clamped a hand firmly over her mouth. The woman has asthma and had difficulty breathing.

Wambui allegedly told her to ‘just relax’. He allegedly took her to a grassy area in the park while she cried. She tried to contort her body to get away, but was initially unable to escape. She also tried to scream, but Wambui allegedly muffled her voice. According to prosecutors, Wambui put his hand under her skirt and touched her breasts.

This is when Boston police officers encountered the woman and Wambui while searching for him after hearing about the first attack. Wambui appeared to have a scratch on his face and his pants were unzipped, officials said. He was subsequently arrested.