Man accused of serial rape convicted; sentencing pending
A Cape Coral man has been convicted of kidnapping and sexually battering two women.
Chunsi William Vines, 29, of 609 S.W. 29 St., was found guilty by a Lee County jury on Wednesday for violently raping two women in Cape Coral, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
He faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on Nov. 28.
Officials reported that Vines would respond to online ads placed by women on backpage.com. In August 2015, he had one victim meet him at a home for sale in the Cape. He raped her, threatened her with weapons and threatened to drown her. When he filled the bathtub in the home with water, the woman was able to jump out of a window to get away.
A second woman came forward after hearing about Vines’ arrest for the crime, according to officials. She had been attacked by him in May 2015. He raped her too, threatened her with weapons and tried to drown her in a pool. She was able to cut through a screen to get to safety.
Vines was found guilty as charged on all counts, which were sexual battery by threatening to use force or violence, kidnapping and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Assistant State Attorneys Michael Colombo and Jessica Horowitz handled the case.
“We want to thank the Cape Coral Police Department for their diligent investigative work to help bring Vines to justice,” Samantha Syoen, the spokeswoman for the SAO, said in a prepared statement.
Source: State Attorney’s Office