Rape suspect charged with burglary

The Daily Inter Lake

A former Colorado resident suspected of raping and kidnapping a Martin City woman has been arrested on related burglary charges.

Matthew Gene Rockwell, 22, is accused of stealing a pistol in Bigfork before raping a woman at gunpoint and then driving her to Las Vegas against her will, authorities said.

Rockwell, who is currently charged with one count of burglary, was ordered held on $75,000 bail during an initial appearance Monday in Flathead County Justice Court.

The alleged rape and kidnapping are still under investigation and additional charges may be filed, Deputy Flathead County Attorney Caleb E. Simpson said.

According to court documents, Rockwell told his alleged victim he stole the .45-caliber pistol from a home on Blenn Street in Bigfork.

He used the pistol to threaten the 26-year-old woman at her Martin City residence on Nov. 19 before forcing her to go to Las Vegas, where she escaped from him on Nov. 24, authorities said.

The pistols owner, the father of one of Rockwells friends, told investigators he hadnt seen Rockwell in about 18 months.

The alleged victim reportedly convinced Rockwell to throw the gun in a creek in Clark County, Idaho.

Deputies from the Clark County Sheriffs Office recovered a pistol from the location described by the alleged victim and matched its serial number to the gun stolen in Bigfork.

Rockwell was arrested Dec. 1 at his mothers residence in Bozeman, where she is a student. He was booked into the Flathead County Detention Center last week.

Rockwells last known address was in Grand Junction, Colo., according to court papers.

A conviction for burglary carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Rockwell is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 23.