Fire Official Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Woman Stranded In South Austin

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX — An Austin fire official has been placed on leave with pay after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman he lured into his city-owned vehicle after finding her stranded, according to a published report.

Referencing a search warrant affidavit, the Austin American-Statesman reported a woman made an outcry over the alleged assault on March 2. On Tuesday (Sept. 19), fire officials confirmed Lt. Marcus Reed of the department's arson unit had been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

According to the report, the unidentified woman has a pending criminal case against her, the details of which were not described. The incident began as the woman drove her car one evening along the Interstate 35 frontage road near St. Elmo Road in South Austin and got into an argument with a female passenger who later wandered off, the newspaper reported.

That's when Reed is said to have pulled up behind the woman's vehicle, telling the woman to get into his truck while he looked for the passenger. He then allegedly drove her elsewhere and proceeded to assault her, according to the report.

The woman was able to pick Reed out of a lineup, the report indicates. A union representative declined to offer a comment to the Statesman, and neither Reed nor his attorney could be reached for comment.

>>> Read the full story at Austin American-Statesman

Image via Shutterstock