Rape Suspect Arrested in Laclede County

A 52-year-old from Lebanon faces pending rape and kidnapping charges after an incident early Sunday morning in Laclede County.

The sheriff’s department says that the victim, a cab driver, received a call to pick up Jerry Warnock at Martin’s One Stop to give him a ride to work on Hemlock.

When she stopped the cab, Warnock allegedly wrapped her seatbelt around her neck, used zip ties to restrain her and put her in the back seat while threatening to kill her with a knife.

Warnock then drove the cab to a remote location on Hemlock while the cab driver was able to activate her cell phone to contact 911.

At the time of his arrest, Warnock also had outstanding warrants for possession of a controlled substance and burglary.