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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. (Gray News) — A man was sentenced Thursday to 120 years in prison for kidnapping a young woman from a Starbucks parking lot and raping her at knifepoint.
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The assault happened at a Starbucks in Collinsville, Illinois, in November 2022.
According to KTVI, prosecutors said Timothy J. Dubois Jr., 42, committed the crime on Veterans Day and told his victim he “deserved her” because he is a veteran.
Dubois’ defense, however, asked for a break in sentencing because Dubois is a veteran who served his country.
According to KMOV, prosecutors said that Dubois approached the 21-year-old woman while she was sitting in her vehicle outside the Starbucks. The victim said he had a large knife and forced her to drive to Troy, Illinois, where he sexually assaulted her.
Dubois then forced the victim to drive back to the shopping center where he had abducted her before he ran away.
KTVI reported that Dubois told authorities that he picked Starbucks to find a victim because “that’s where all the women go.”
After the crime, police released surveillance images of a car and a sketch of the suspect, later identified as Dubois.
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Dubois had also turned off the victim’s cell phone so her movements could not be tracked, officials said. But the victim had an Apple Watch, which was instrumental in leading investigators to the area where the rape occurred. Police found a condom in a gravel lot.
Prosecutors said Dubois wore a mask during the crime, so the victim never saw his face. But the details she gave during her testimony led a jury to find Dubois guilty in May.
He was found guilty of aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
At the time the verdict was announced, Collinsville Police Chief Brett Boerm said his department was committed to protecting its citizens and pursuing those who commit violent crimes.
“Our detectives never gave up on this case. Even when the investigation presented challenges, they continued pursuing every avenue available until the evidence led us to the defendant,” Boerm told KMOV in a statement. “This case deeply impacted our community, and our investigators took that responsibility seriously from Day One. They worked relentlessly to ensure the victim received justice and that our community was safe.”
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