A Gambian immigrant has been arrested for rape in Philadelphia

KOMO Staff:

A former nursing assistant who fled the country after being accused accused of raping a paralyzed patient was arrested Monday at a Philadelphia airport.

Darboe, a native of Gambia, had fled to the African country in August. He was arrested in Philadelphia by U.S. Customs agents agents after arriving on a flight from Germany, said Seattle Police spokesman Jeff Kappel.

Darboe, 39, was charged with second-degree rape and indecent liberties for allegedly repeatedly raping a paralyzed woman who was in his care.

The victim, who had suffered a stroke earlier this year, was being treated at Kindred Hospital where Darboe worked as a nursing assistant.

According to court documents, Darboe was working his shift at Seattle's Kindred Hospital, giving the 31-year-old stroke victim a sponge bath when her friend stopped by to visit.

That friend asked the victim if Darboe had touched in her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. The patient "indicated yes in a vigorous way and started to cry," the documents said.

The stroke had left the woman with no ability to defend herself.

"She cannot speak, had to communicate through an alphabet board," said Kappel. "(She's) somebody who couldn't raise her own arms, raise her own legs."

Before police were able to arrest Darboe after the accusations, he left the country. Darboe sent a letter to his employer saying he had a family emergency in Gambia and would be gone for four weeks.

Darboe is being held in a Philadelphia jail pending extradition to Seattle.

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