robert_hitt.jpg
Robert D. Hitt was convicted of raping a University of Washington student in 2001. (Photo: Department of Corrections)

Convicted rapist breaks into U District home, ties up women

BY Brandi Kruse  on March 5, 2012 @ 11:56 am (Updated: 9:01 am - 3/6/12 )

A convicted rapist who was released from prison in January has been arrested for breaking into a home in the University District, tying up the women inside and forcing one to remove her clothes, according to the Seattle Police Department.

Robert D. Hitt, 35, was booked into the King County Jail Monday for investigation into robbery, burglary, kidnapping and attempted rape.

According to Seattle police, he entered the home in the 5000 block of 20 Ave. NE through a first floor window at around 3:30 a.m. The eight women who live in the home are university students, and the residence is just blocks from the University of Washington campus.

"He broke into their house and gathered all of the female occupants into a room while threatening to use a knife that he had," said Detective Renee Witt. "The suspect bound all the female victims' hands."

Witt said one of the women called 911 from her bedroom before the man was able to find her.

"She heard him coming, she heard him yelling and he was trying to kick her door in," Witt said.

Police arrived at the scene minutes later, and took the man into custody. None of the women were injured, but the crime bears a resemblance to the one that sent Hitt to prison a decade ago.

According to the Washington State Department of Corrections, Hitt was released from prison on January 10, 2012 after serving a 10 year sentence for first-degree rape. According to court documents from the King County Prosecutor's Office, Hitt raped a 19-year-old University of Washington student at knifepoint in October 2001. Hitt was 24-yeras-old at the time of the offense.

The woman worked at a University District sandwich shop and had come to Hitt's home to deliver an order.

"Hitt had been drinking all day and had been watching a pornographic movie, which was playing on television when (the victim) arrived," according to probable cause documents. When the victim stepped inside the doorway, Hitt blocked her from leaving and put a knife to her throat.

"Be quiet, don't say a word or I'll cut your throat," Hitt told her, then proceeded to rape her.

While Hitt's crime could have carried a sentence of life in prison, the state's Indeterminate Sentence Review Board determined he was fit for release after just 10 years.

" ... the Board does not find by a preponderance of the evidence that Mr. Hitt is more likely than not to commit a sex offense if released on conditions," read the August 3, 2011 decision, obtained by KIRO-FM. The board noted that Hitt had made progress in therapy sessions and completed a chemical dependency program to "mitigate his risk to reoffend."

The board stated that it was clear Hitt had an "epiphany" while in prison and worked hard "to transform himself, his attitude and thoughts so that he won't create another victim in the future."

According to Department of Corrections Spokesperson Chad Lewis, Hitt was considered to be at a "low-risk" of reoffending on his release date, and had so far complied with the terms of his release.

Brandi Kruse, KIRO Radio Reporter
Brandi Kruse is a reporter for KIRO Radio who is as spontaneous and adventurous in her free time as she is on the job. Brandi arrived at KIRO Radio in March 2011 and has already collected three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her reporting.
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Comments (43)


  • Add A Comment

  • BellevueResident wrote...
    too bad the PD
    March 5, 2012 1:45 pm
    didn't bring their Police dogs like they did in Bellevue recently. The Bellevue Police dog bit recent burglars in a neighborhood. The would be thieves hid under leaves and logs until the dog found them and bit them good! HAHAHA!! Those girls probably could have overtaken one bad guy but...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Moondoggie wrote...
    Does the name Richard Speck ring a bell?
    March 5, 2012 2:57 pm
    Lock him up and throw away the key.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    like Rush Limbaugh would say . . . .
    March 5, 2012 5:53 pm
    any pictures?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sohojo wrote...
    Life in prison
    March 5, 2012 6:02 pm
    For this b-asta-rd.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sleuth96 wrote...
    Only in liberal WA state...
    March 5, 2012 6:13 pm
    does a turd like this get released from prison after only serving 10 years for Kidnapping, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Rape in the 1st degree. Thank God one of the women had the courage to call 911 before she was discovered, and thank God the police responded quickly, or we may have been reading about a multiple homicide.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    I seem to remember
    March 5, 2012 9:32 pm
    Conservative Huckabee releasing a convict early in conservative Arkansas. Your logic doesn't work sleuth96.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Drool wrote...
    Yeah,
    March 6, 2012 4:51 am
    A conservative Governor like Huckabee would let a criminal of this level out .....wait a minute.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Nickatnyt wrote...
    Time to clean house with that insensitive 'board'
    March 5, 2012 6:14 pm
    Either they are so used to seeing these scumbags seem better after 10 years, or they just don't care anymore, but clearly this perp fooled these so-called experts quite nicely. Does the prison system recognize acting brilliance with an appropriate golden statue when it sees it?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Reaganart wrote...
    So much for...
    March 5, 2012 6:15 pm
    Liberal methodology and rehabilitation in our current prison system. My very first reaction to this story was: "DUH....!" My second one was: "Where's Joe Arpaio when you need him...?"
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Vlastimil wrote...
    The board stated that it was clear Hitt had an "epiphany" while in prison and worked hard "to transform himself, his attitude and thoughts so that he won't create another victim in the future."
    March 5, 2012 6:26 pm
    8 victims in under 8 weeks. That was some epiphany. I'd like to know this boards track record. At some point you would think they would feel some shame for allowing so many people to be victimized by their poor decisions.

    Ch, your comment reflects your d-baggery

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • fartforce1 wrote...
    **** Ohhhh, its allt he libaerals and Obama's fault ***
    March 5, 2012 6:27 pm
    See above statement for right wing talkign point. Stay tuned - for more Idiotic people pronouncing that liberals are responsible or everything bad!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ravensfan wrote...
    Ya Think?
    March 6, 2012 5:25 am
    Liberals ae the root of all evil in this country. Without a dependent class where would liberals and the Dmocratic party be? They would not exist and hence the "everyone is a victim" mentality."
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • fartforce1 wrote...
    NOTCE - to all the RWNJ on this sight.
    March 5, 2012 6:28 pm
    They released him because they had to make room so0 they could put more pot heads in the prison system. Its your own fault.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sleuth96 wrote...
    Fartforce..
    March 5, 2012 8:25 pm
    No, they released him because the CJ system in this state adheres to the "hug-a-thug" policy of law enforcement, which is a liberal trait. And I am not just speaking out of my a@# like you are; this is coming from over 15 years of law enforcement experience and having worked 10.5 of those years in a conservative state. If this turd had committed his first rape and kidnapping in my home state, we would not be having this discussion and those women would never have experienced this nightmare. I am blaming the turd, and ONLY the turd, for kidnapping and trying to rape those women. But I do put blame on this state's crazy CJ system for releasing him too early. I have always believed that you can't rehabilitate someone who was never 'habilated' in the first place.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    @fartforce1
    March 5, 2012 8:31 pm
    You are a flaming MORON. How would you feel if the guy raped your wife or daughter??
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • fartforce1 wrote...
    timbrt - you idiot.
    March 5, 2012 8:49 pm
    you both points so perfectly that its obvious that you are a RWNJ.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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