In her 19-paragraph Metro section front-pager, "D.C. cab ride ends in rape of woman, police say," Washington Post reporter Suzy Khimm waited until the very last paragraph to mention that suspect Mohammed Suleiman Roble is in the United States illegally.
"Roble is a Somali immigrant who came to the U.S. illegally, according to a 2012 arrest warrant. His lawyer, Lavonda Graham-Williams, declined to comment on either of the charges," noted Khimm. [preceding link to PlainSite.org not in original Post report]
To be fair, Khimm's angle on the story was focused on how the alleged rape last Saturday "has raised new questions about taxi safety in the District," particularly questions of taxicab regulations as Roble is a friend of the cab driver who illegally picked up the victim as a fare. Roble's friend, "Mohammed Sharmakealt, worked for Loudoun Executive Cab and was not licensed to pick up customers in the District."
That being said, the fact that the alleged perpetrator is in the country illegally, was arrested last year and released from custody, is worthy of consideration by the Post in and of itself.
