Cook attacked in Beta break-in

A stranger knocked on the window of the Beta Theta Pi house basement just after lunch Monday.

When he came around to the door, he told the cook he was there to do work on the house.

He grabbed her and pulled her into a bathroom before she could confirm his story.

She screamed for help.

She got it.

The fraternity’s members rushed to the scene and held down the man until police arrived at the house at 114 S. Columbia St.

Police charged Troy Deshane Watson, 34, with felonious kidnapping and misdemeanor charges of assault on a female, communicating threats and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Chapel Hill police reports.

“We’re impressed with how the brothers responded,” fraternity president Larsen Jones said. “The victim is doing much better.”

The 39-year-old woman escaped with a few bruises but did not require medical attention, police spokesman Lt. Kevin Gunter said.

Watson, who is homeless, was under the influence of drugs, alcohol or both at the time of the incident, reports state.

Watson was carrying what appeared to be a crack pipe at the time of arrest, Gunter said. He did not have any weapons.

“We really have very little information on him personally. This is the first interaction we’ve had with this individual,” he said.

Watson is being held at the Orange County Jail in lieu of a $200,000 bond, Sgt. Raeford Thompson said.

He initially appeared before a court Tuesday and has a second court date Monday.

Freshman Frank Elliot was one of several fraternity members who came to help the victim.

“We were all shocked,” he wrote in an e-mail. “We are just happy that we were able to handle the situation and the victim is doing well.”

Jones said the victim is taking time off to recover from the incident.

“We’re just making do without her for now,” Jones said, “fending for ourselves and giving her as much time as possible.”

Assistant City Editor Olivia Barrow

contributed reporting.

Contact the City Editor at city@dailytarheel.com.