Chicago man charged with raping, beating 74-year-old Elgin woman

A Chicago man was being held on $850,000 bond Wednesday on allegations he forced his way into a 74-year-old Elgin woman's apartment and raped and beat her.

Rodney L. McGowan, 42, of the 1000 block of North Monticello Avenue, was charged with two counts of home invasion, three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, one count of criminal sexual assault and one count of aggravated battery to a senior citizen, authorities said.

Police were called to the woman's apartment in the 1300 block of Fleetwood Drive at 12:05 a.m. last Friday on accusations that McGowan broke into her apartment while she was sleeping, punched her several times in the face and raped her, police said.

Nobody else was home at the time and there is no indication that anything was stolen from the apartment, Deputy Police Chief Cecil Smith said.

The incident occurred inside an apartment within the Buena Vista housing complex.

McGowan had already left by the time police arrived, but officers identified him by viewing surveillance that showed him entering another building in the 1200 block of Fleetwood Drive and exiting the woman's apartment, police said.

Detectives recovered information that placed McGowan at the apartment during the attack, and he turned himself in on Tuesday, Smith said.

The woman, meanwhile, was treated at Provena St. Joseph Hospital for several face and head injuries.

She was released Wednesday afternoon, said Heather Gates, a hospital spokeswoman.

McGowan was taken to the Kane County lockup Wednesday afternoon where he was awaiting his May 11 court date at the Kane County Judicial Center.

The most serious charges in this case are home invasion and aggravated criminal sexual assault.

Both are Class X felonies that are punishable by up to 30 years in prison.