Man arrested in Center City rape of Penn junior

The incident occurred on teh 2000 block of Walnut Street early Friday morning. The suspect, 34, was arrested last night. After a 2 1/2-day investigation, Philadelphia Police last night arrested the man suspected of raping a 20-year-old Penn junior early Friday morning in her Center City apartment. Marvin Johnson, 34, was arrested and charged with rape and related offenses after he allegedly used the victim's credit card at a nearby convenience store. His fingerprints were also matched to a print found at the scene. Police said Johnson entered the student's first-floor apartment on the 2000 block of Walnut Street through an unlocked window while she was sleeping at about 4:40 a.m. on Friday. During the assault, Johnson allegedly threatened the victim by implying that he had a gun but did not show the weapon to her, Special Victims Unit Lt. John Henfey said. The victim called 911 after the assault and was transported by police to the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. According to Henfey, who led the investigation, the victim did not suffer any other physical injuries. "She's been great for what she went through," Henfey said. "Other than the trauma of rape itself, she's OK." Johnson, who police said has been arrested numerous times and has been out of jail for three years, will be brought before a judge within the next 48 hours to determine whether he will be allowed to be out on bail until his trial. Johnson has not admitted to committing the crime, Henfey said. The investigation did not reveal evidence that Johnson had any personal connection with the victim before the assault. "At this point it just seems to be a random incident," Henfey said. Henfey attributed the quick arrest to "a combination of modern technology and then some good old-fashioned police work and the assistance of the media." Police at first believed the incident was tied to the still-unsolved May 1998 killing of Wharton doctoral student Shannon Schieber, who was strangled to death in her apartment only blocks away from the location of Friday's rape. While the initial description provided by the rape victim was similar to the suspect in the Schieber murder, DNA tests quickly ruled out any connection. After the rape Friday, Wharton announced that it was doubling to size of its award to $20,000 for information leading to Schieber's killer. Police were able to narrow down the search for a suspect when Johnson tried to use the credit card in a neighborhood store. The victim had noticed the card missing after the assault and canceled it, so the store clerk confiscated the card from Johnson and later picked him out from a police photo display. After issuing a warrant for Johnson's arrest, police received about 45 tips as to his whereabouts, including the tip which led them to his location. When officers and a SWAT team arrived at the residence, Henfey said Johnson was visible in a second-floor window but refused to come down and open the door despite several requests by police that he do so. The SWAT team then forced open a side-door and Johnson turned himself in without incident, Henfey said. University spokesperson Ken Wildes said that the "horrific" incident underlined the need for students to be careful no matter where they are living. "As much as we'd like to think it can't, the reality is crime can happen anywhere," Wildes said. Wildes said the University is providing "any and every service available" to help the victim through the ordeal.