A Lafayette Parish grand jury has indicted a Lake Charles man on rape and weapons charges in connection with what authorities described as a crime spree back in January.
Shannon E. Morris Jr., 26, was indicted here this week on eight counts of rape and one count felon in possession of a firearm. He faces a mandatory life in prison without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence if convicted on the rape charges.
Police in three parishes said he committed multiple crimes during a spree that started January 31 in Calcasieu Parish.
Authorities there say they were called early that day to investigate a sexual assault. The victim told deputies Morris arrived at her home around 3 a.m., forced his way inside, demanded money from her, raped her and threatened her life, claiming he had a gun. He stole her gun and forced her to drive him to a location in Iowa.
The victim in Iowa told police that he approached her with a gun and demanded a ride to Jennings. She tried to give him her car, but he forced her into the passenger seat and started driving on Interstate 10, and drove into Acadia Parish.
When he got to Acadia Parish, police allege that Morris went to a fast food restaurant, asked to use the phone and then left; he pulled a gun on an employee sitting in a car in the restaurant parking lot, hit her in the head and shoved her out of the car so he could drive away.
A few minutes later, a call came in from a nearby Wal-Mart, where he allegedly robbed a shopper of her phone at gunpoint, then drove off in the car stolen from the restaurant. He then allegedly drove to Lafayette, where deputies arrested him there after the crimes alleged in this week's indictment.
Calcasieu authorities say they also learned later that Morris allegedly went to another victim's home on January 30 and sexually assaulted her. She said he locked her in a room, claiming to have a gun. She was eventually able to get him to leave, deputies say.
In Calcasieu Parish he was booked with second-degree rape, theft of a firearm, unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, second-degree kidnapping, aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, attempted second-degree rape, sexual battery and false imprisonment, plus a Probation and Parole hold.
