Man rearrested for allegedly raping same woman he assaulted 5 years ago

By Shelby Myers

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    ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Alabama (WALA) — A Mobile man is in the Escambia County, Ala., jail for allegedly raping the same woman he was convicted of assaulting in 2018.

Escambia County Sheriff Heath Jackson said Ronald Coley had been out of prison for just 12 days before brutally attacking the woman he’s known.

Jackson said, “He literally sat in our courtroom for his bond setting and made gun gestures with his hands pointing them at the bailiffs toward the judge and everybody else in the courtroom, using foul language and actually he has no remorse or anything.”

Atmore police said on April 8, Coley brutally beat and raped the victim. Police said he broke three of her ribs, bruised her face and arms while dragging her to a wooded area to sexually assault her and when she tried to call 911, police said Coley threw her phone into the woods.

According to court documents, the victim is the same woman Coley admitted to assaulting in 2018.

After going in and out of jail then prison and ultimately having his probation revoked multiple times for drug and gun charges, Coley was released earlier this month due to the state’s mandatory release law.

“The prison is trying to empty out their population, but what they’re doing is they’re dumping it back into communities that were attempting to clean up” said Jackson.

The law allows inmates who are just months away from finishing their sentence to be released early under supervision.

The problem, Jackson said, is Coley wasn’t under supervision. Jackson said Coley never showed up to get fitted for an ankle monitor.

“We expect him on the honor system to show up and get an ankle monitor. He can’t abide by the law that’s why he went to prison. What makes you think he’s going to abide by rules, period? He’s not and he didn’t,” said Jackson.

According to court documents, the Escambia County District Attorney’s office asked a judge to invoke Aniah’s Law to keep Coley behind bars this time.

Earlier this year, Attorney General Steve Marshall filed a lawsuit for a temporary restraining order on the release because the Alabama Department of Corrections did not properly notify the victims’ families. The order was denied by a judge.

Senator Chris Elliott also filed a bill to try and stop the early release of inmates.

Currently, under the law, ADOC is releasing inmates twice a month for the foreseeable future.

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