Man turned self in to Ohio authorities
By Adam Jones Staff Writer
Published: Monday, November 8, 2010 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, November 8, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
A man suspected of raping two women, leaving one dead, at an apartment in Tuscaloosa turned himself in to police in Ohio on Saturday, according to police.
Ellis Lamont Patton, 30, hitched a ride from Florida to Cleveland, Ohio, where he turned himself in to Cleveland State University police working a traffic accident, said Capt. Loyd Baker, commander of the Tuscaloosa Metro Homicide Unit.
Investigators believe Patton raped and strangled Angela Quick Lavender, 46, at her University Manor Apartment off Greensboro Avenue on Oct. 26 before raping her 32-year-old friend staying at the apartment, forcing the woman’s elementary school-aged daughter to stay in the room during the assault. Patton is wanted on charges of capital murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy and first-degree kidnapping.
Police said Patton and Lavender were involved in a dating relationship for a few weeks, but said Lavender asked her friend to stay because she was uncomfortable being alone with Patton.
Patton fled to Florida, where an owner of an apartment complex in Jacksonville Beach called authorities a week ago to tow a 1990 Chevrolet truck with no license tag because it was parked there for several days. Investigators with the Tuscaloosa homicide unit traveled to Florida last week, collected evidence and returned the truck to Tuscaloosa. Working with U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement agencies in Florida, investigators traced the truck to Patton and began searching for him.
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