Charges dropped against man accused of three rapes

CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — The charges brought against a man accused of kidnapping and raping three women have been dropped.

Police said Lavatae Evans kidnapped two women at gunpoint and sexually assaulted them at the Sunset Inn on Eqiupment Drive.

While police were taking out warrants for his arrest, he was accused of sexually assaulting a third woman at his house.

Mecklenburg County Assistant District Attorney Samantha Pendergrass discussed why the charges were dropped.

"We came across several inconsistencies in the victims' statements," she said regarding the case from the Sunset Inn.

Court records said  the "victims (told) responding officers that the defendant forced his way into their car and kidnapped them at gunpoint, then they say that they met the defendant at a gas station, later they admit that they went with him to a hotel room to hang out and smoke marijuana with him."

The victims also left before rape kits were collected, "so we didn't have the forensic corroboration," Pendergrass said.

In the other case at Evans' home, the DA's office said statements by the victim and the defendant could not be verified.

"The case becomes he said/she said and would not succeed at trial," documents said.

Charlotte Mecklenburg police said these were challenging cases from the beginning.

"When you have so many different variables and cases of this nature, they're difficult to prosecute and terribly difficult to investigate," said Rob Tufano, a spokesperson for the department.

WSOC