Man allegedly rapes one woman in Bay Village, attempts to rape another immediately afterward

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

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

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

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

Wambui then allegedly grabbed her by the front of her neck and from behind. He allegedly dragged her to the ground and got on top of her. The woman was screaming and crying as Wambui raped her, prosecutors wrote. The attack was captured on surveillance footage.

He then allegedly fled toward Arlington Street. The woman immediately called 911, according to prosecutors. Police responded, and officers canvassed the area. They found Wambui a few blocks away, near Eliot Norton Park with another woman. Police discovered that that woman was Wambui’s second victim, according to prosecutors. 

The second woman, a 47-year-old, was walking back to her car through the park after dropping her friend off. As she crossed Charles Street South, she noticed 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 tightly over her mouth. The woman has asthma and was struggling to breathe. 

Wambui allegedly told her to “just relax.” He allegedly brought her down to a grassy area of the park as she was crying. She tried to contort her body to get away but could not initially escape. She also tried to scream, but Wambui allegedly muffled her voice. Wambui put his hand up her skirt and touched her breasts, according to prosecutors. 

This is when Boston police officers came upon the woman and Wambui, as they searched for him after learning about the first attack. Wambui was observed to have a scratch on his face, and his pants were unzipped, officials said. He was then arrested.

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