A 37-year-old man is behind bars, a week after police launched a massive manhunt following the near death, kidnapping and rape of a George resident.
The suspect faces charges of attempted murder, kidnapping, four counts of rape, assault and theft of a motor vehicle.
According to an earlier police statement, the 43-year-old victim had driven to a petrol station near Heather Park in George on the 29th of August where she met the unknown suspect from whom she requested to show her where she could buy drugs.
The suspect introduced himself as Edward and volunteered to take her to his residence in Pacaltsdorp where she could buy the drugs.
Police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie said the suspect asked to drive the victim's vehicle to avoid suspicion to which she agreed.
He said they first stopped for petrol in York Street but the victim became suspicious when the suspect suddenly took the off-ramp to Mossel Bay and drove in the direction of Great Brak River.
Pojie said that the suspect stopped near Buffelsdrift Farm where he assaulted and raped the woman repeatedly.
He said he pulled her out of the vehicle and tried to strangle her with a piece of rope which he later used to tie her hands and. The suspect drove off in the victims car, leaving her for dead.
She managed to make her way to the N2 where she was found by a passing truck driver.
Her stolen car was found abandoned near Garies in the Northern Cape and impounded at the Springbok police station.
Pojie said that the 37-year-old suspect was arrested by an alert member of the public who spotted him hanging around at an accident scene near the same petrol station where the crime took place.
He said an identity parade will be conducted soon.
