Austell man accused of rape at bus stop

An Austell man, Juan Pacheco Gutierrez, is accused of raping a woman on Sept. 19, just before 8 a.m.  The victim was waiting at a bus stop on S. Service Road in Austell when the incident occurred.

According to an arrest warrant issued by the Cobb County Police Department, Gutierrez, 49, was parked across the street at a Wendy’s restaurant. 

He called the victim over to his vehicle for a conversation. The victim, who knew Gutierrez, entered his vehicle, and Gutierrez drove them to the Super 8 by Wyndham Austell/Six Flags hotel located at 7377 6 Flags Drive in Austell, where he parked at the rear of the building.

The warrant alleges that Gutierrez informed the victim that they were going to engage in sexual activity. However, the victim did not consent and tried to exit the vehicle. Gutierrez forcibly restrained her by grabbing her hair and holding her, preventing her from leaving.

 Gutierrez then dragged the victim back into the vehicle after she attempted to walk away. The hotel’s video surveillance reportedly captured portions of this encounter.

The victim made another attempt to escape but was once again pushed back into the vehicle by Gutierrez. The arrest warrant states that Gutierrez drove for approximately 5 to 10 minutes, during which time the victim was unable to see their destination. They eventually stopped at an abandoned house. At this point, Gutierrez allegedly threatened the victim, claiming that he would dispose of her body in a river, and her family would never find her. Fearing for her life, the victim complied with Gutierrez’s commands, and sexual assault occurred.

The victim claims Gutierrez warned her not to report the incident to the police or anyone else, threatening further harm and disposal in the river. Due to her fear, the victim did not immediately report the incident but did so a day later.

Following an interview with the Special Victim’s Office, a sexual assault nurse examination was conducted. In an interview, Gutierrez admitted to grabbing the victim’s hair, claiming it was because he wanted to talk to her. He also asserted that he had consensual sex with the victim, according to the arrest warrant.

Gutierrez was arrested for rape on September 20th at 5:30 p.m. and has been booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, where he remains in custody without bond.