Police Arrest 17-Year-Old for Rape

Chapel Hill police arrested Kristian Theissen, 17, of 1501 Ford Road at 3:45 p.m. Monday. He was charged with one felony count of rape in the second degree and one felony count of sexual offense in the second degree, reports state.

Theissen could not be reached for comment Tuesday, and his mother said both she and her son refused comment on the case.

The incident allegedly occurred at 11:30 p.m. April 13 in a Scroggs Elementary School parking lot located at 501 Kildaire Road in a parking lot, reports state.

"It occurred in a vehicle on that street," said Chapel Hill Police spokeswoman Jane Cousins.

The victim reported the crimes almost a day later, at 11:16 p.m. April 14, reports state.

It is not clear why the victim, who Cousins said was not a UNC student, waited before reporting the incident to police.

Reports state that the victim suffered minor injuries, but it is not clear what kind of injuries she sustained.

Cousins said she was not sure if the victim had been treated at a local hospital, but the injuries stemmed strictly from the alleged sexual offenses. "She was not beaten at any time," Cousins said.

Cousins said the reason Theissen was charged with the second-degree sexual offense was because of activity outside of the alleged second-degree rape.

"There was another sexual offense as well as the rape," she said.

But Cousins said she was unable to release details about the nature of the second sexual offense.

According to N.C. Crimes, a guidebook on the elements of crime, second-degree rape is considered forcible and occurs when a person engages in vaginal intercourse with another person but does not have a weapon.

A second-degree sexual offense also is considered forcible and means a person engages in a sexual act other than vaginal penetration, the book states.

Cousins said the police were able to track down the suspect through investigative work.

But because of the sensitive nature of the case, Cousins said she could not be more specific about the investigation.

Theissen was taken before the magistrate Monday and released into the custody of his mother on a written promise. Reports also state that Theissen was scheduled to appear at the Orange County District Court in Chapel Hill on Tuesday for his first appearance.

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.