Judge denies bond reduction for Lee

FARMINGTON – A man accused of breaking into a Bonne Terre home and assaulting an elderly couple was denied a reduction in his bond Tuesday morning.

Associate Circuit Court Judge Wendy Wexler Horn denied Vincent Lee’s request for a bond reduction. His bond is set at $250,000.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Pat King will be requesting a mental exam for 35-year-old Lee of St. Louis. Lee’s case is currently scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 27 before Judge Horn.

Lee is charged with attempted forcible sodomy, two counts of felonious restraint, one count of first-degree burglary, one count of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree assault.

According to the probable cause statement, an elderly woman told police that Lee repeatedly rang their doorbell and when she went to answer the door, he forced his way in and knocked her down. She said he said, “don’t worry I’m not gonna rape you.”

Her husband heard the commotion and came upstairs to find Lee on top of the woman, licking and kissing her face. He went to grab Lee but Lee began to assault him.

Lee began to walk to the door as if to leave but stopped when he saw the man trying to call 911. Lee told the man not to dial 911. Lee then repeatedly slammed the door on the woman’s fingers and again shoved her to the floor.

Lee shoved the man to his knees and began choking him. He then began pulling the woman’s pants down but then asked where their car keys were. The husband told him where the keys were.

The husband said Lee suddenly got up and ran out the door without taking the keys or their car.

A mailman told the husband that Lee walked toward Ash Street. Police officers found Lee on Benham Street and arrested him without further incident.

Lee confessed to everything except for trying to pull off the woman’s clothing. He was taken to the county jail.

The woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment of cuts to her hands.

The press release from Bonne Terre Police Department states it appeared Lee had taken a cab from St. Louis to Bonne Terre to stay at a local homeless shelter. Lee told police he only came to Bonne Terre because he had stayed at the shelter once before last year.

The cab dropped him off in town and he attempted to find the shelter on foot.

“He failed to find it, somehow ending up on the front porch of the victim’s home which was on the other side of town from the homeless shelter,” the press release states. The shelter is located on Grove Street.

Lee was arrested for indecent exposure in Farmington on Jan. 9.