Captive Rescued After Leaving Notes in Public Restrooms

A man accused of raping and beating a woman while holding her captive for months in Pennsylvania was arrested this week after the woman asked for help in notes left in public bathrooms. In the first note, found stuck to a mirror inside a Walmart bathroom in Carnegie, Pa., on July 8, the woman wrote that she'd been held against her will and sexually and physically assaulted. The note gave the name of the victim and her alleged captor, 38-year-old Corey Brewer, along with his address and a description of his vehicle, per WTAE and the Washington Post. There was no answer at the home when police showed up without a warrant, though officers could hear noises inside. Officers then called Brewer, who told them he and the victim, whom he'd been dating, were vacationing in New York. Brewer then listened as the victim told officers she was with her boyfriend, per ABC News.

But in a second note, found stuck to a mirror in a restroom at the Fallingwater museum in Mill Run, Pa., the following day, the woman said she'd lied and had been held captive since May 1, per ABC. She also said she'd "heard the police knocking at the residence." "The abuse hasn't stopped, and please don't give up," she added. Police returned with a warrant on Sunday. The victim, taken to a hospital, told police that Brewer had sexually assaulted, beaten, and strangled her, cut her with a knife, taken nude photos of her without consent, and threatened to kill her and her children if she tried to escape. Brewer was arrested and charged with sexual assault, unlawful restraint, strangulation, making terroristic threats, and other crimes before posting $500 in cash, or 10% of his $5,000 bail, per Law & Crime. Police note the victim obtained a protection order against Brewer last August, though it expired a month later. (More Pennsylvania stories.)