According to reports, a man broke into a house on Indianapolis’ west side, raped a mother and her daughter, and recorded the incident on his phone.
Court documents filed in Marion County on Sunday charge 21-year-old Teshon Gardner with two counts of rape, each a Level 1 felony, following an incident at a home on S. Worth Avenue on Saturday.
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Officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department received a complaint about a recent rape at approximately 12:45 p.m. on Saturday. Upon the arrival of cops, a mother reported that she and her 12-year-old daughter had experienced a gunpoint rape inside the house.
The woman informed police that she had just returned home from a tire shop when she heard a knock on her front door. When she opened the door, the records stated that a man wearing an American flag mask was pointing a revolver at her and ordering her to let him in.
When the man entered the house, he allegedly raped the woman on the couch and floor. According to the records, while looking at family portraits on the wall, the man asked the woman if there was anyone else in the house. The woman informed the man that no one else was inside.
The man then stopped raping her and went down the corridor, where the woman’s children were sleeping. According to the records, the man urged the woman to pick up one of her children and return to the living room.
Following this, the man allegedly raped both the wife and a 12-year-old child on many occasions. The woman informed police that the male, later identified as Gardner, came to her house about 11:30 a.m. and left around 12:30 p.m. The woman then offered authorities a description of the man, including an indecipherable tattoo that began with the initial ‘M,’ and stated that Gardner allegedly recorded himself raping them on his cell phone.
Using the description and neighboring cameras, police located a blue Ford F-150 linked to Gardner at a home on W. 28th Street. Later, police detained Gardner during a traffic stop at W. 30th and Annette Streets.
Police interviewed Gardner, who said he was the only driver that day and spent most of the day “just driving around.” According to the documents, he denied having sexual contact with anyone that day or attacking anyone.
Gardner reportedly showed officers the tattoo of the phrase “Motown” on the left side of his torso. According to the documents, Gardner was unable to explain how the victims in the case became aware of the tattoo.
IMPD Lt. Shane Foley congratulates the two survivors on their bravery in coming forward after such heinous atrocities.
Foley expressed gratitude for their willingness, courage, and ability to come forward and cooperate with detectives. “It’s my understanding that they acted phenomenally by being able to provide information that was critical to identifying the person we believe responsible for this act.”
The Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking includes a wealth of services, including individuals who can assist survivors in navigating the legal system if they choose to pursue it.
You may see a list of those resources here. You may also contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
