A 45-year-old man, identified only as Nutthaphon, has been arrested by the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) for allegedly stalking and raping a former female colleague. The arrest took place on Friday night on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, near Don Mueang Airport, where Nutthaphon was driving at the time.
Nutthaphon was apprehended based on an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court on April 19, according to Pol Maj Gen Theeradet Thumsuthee, an MPB investigative commander. Investigations revealed that Nutthaphon worked as a driver for the same company as the 22-year-old victim.
The victim informed the police that Nutthaphon had befriended her and subsequently changed his position within the company to become an IT service worker. She reported that he had stalked her for months, especially during her bus commutes home. She also stated that Nutthaphon asked for excessively personal information, which made her uncomfortable.
The victim recounted being raped upon returning from a company party to her office towards the end of last year. She claimed that Nutthaphon followed her, dragged her into the office’s gym, and assaulted her. She reported the incident to her employer and then filed a complaint with the police at Pracha Chuen station.
CCTV footage from the office showed Nutthaphon cleaning up the crime scene before leaving the gym and subsequently resigning from his job to flee, as stated by Pol Maj Gen Theeradet. Investigators managed to locate Nutthaphon after some time, leading to his arrest following a car chase on Friday night.
Nutthaphon denied stalking the victim, stating to investigators that he was merely concerned for her safety. Regarding the alleged rape, he claimed to have tried to change the woman’s outfit due to her being intoxicated and vomiting at the party. He admitted to becoming aroused but insisted that he only touched her body.
Pol Maj Gen Theeradet emphasized the need for further investigation as evidence points towards Nutthaphon. Given his tendency to switch jobs frequently, the police are exploring whether similar incidents occurred at other workplaces.
Police arrest a 45-year-old man wanted for stalking and raping a former female work colleague. (Photo /Wassayos Ngamkham)
