Revere man accused of rape, assault in home invasion

From: Boston Globe, MA - Apr 5, 2003

By Jenny Jiang, Globe Correspondent, 4/5/2003

A Middlesex County grand jury indicted a Revere man yesterday on rape and assault charges in connection with last month's home invasion and attack on an elderly Malden couple, the district attorney's office said.

The indictment charges Raymond D. Cooke, 46, with aggravated rape, kidnapping, attempted murder, mayhem, and larceny, among other crimes, in the March 9 assault. At his arraignment in Malden District Court on March 12, Cooke pleaded not guilty to similar charges in the attack but was not charged with rape. He has been held without bail since the arraignment.

Prosecutors say Cooke, a handyman who had wallpapered a room in the couple's home last year, entered the dwelling under the ruse of repaying a $200 loan, then assaulted and tied up the victims. Authorities said the 74-year-old woman was raped, had all her ribs broken, and was beaten so badly that her hearing aids had to be surgically removed. Her 84-year-old husband had several teeth knocked out and was found hog-tied in the basement, police said.

During a hospital interview two days after the attack, the woman wrote Cooke's name on a piece of paper, identifying him as the attacker. She also identified a second assailant as ''Bob'' or ''Robert'' of Saugus, authorities said.

Authorities said the couple told police their assailants took more than $500 in cash and jewelry, along with two credit cards.

Cooke, meanwhile, has told police that he had only helped his girlfriend's brother, Robert L. Tinder Jr., 40, of Revere, rob the couple, not assault them. Cooke told investigators that Tinder was the assailant and that he was afraid of Tinder, authorities said.

Tinder, who has a lengthy criminal record, is being held on unrelated parole violations and has not been charged in the attack.

Seth Horwitz, a spokesman for Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley, declined to say whether charges would be filed against Tinder. ''The investigation is ongoing,'' Horwitz said.

Cooke is scheduled to appear in Middlesex Superior Court April 14 to face the new charges.

This story ran on page B5 of the Boston Globe on 4/5/2003.

© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.