Boonville police have confirmed Todd Rehkop is the suspect for the attempted sexual assault that occurred at a Boonville gas station March 2. Shortly after the incident, Rehkop committed suicide after the highway patrolmen in Lafayette county stopped him.
“(Police) confirmed the identity through the victim,” Boonville Police Department Lt. Bob Welliver said.
David Hanaway, who is Lafayette County Sherriff’s Department Chief Deputy, said he received a message from highway patrolmen who had observed a vehicle on I-70 matching the description and license plate of Rehkop’s vehicle.
“One of my deputies, a highway patrol man, and another one of our deputies joined them, stopped the vehicle and Mr. Rehkop took his own life,” Hanaway said.
Officers at BPD are still trying to look into Rehkop’s background and past, Welliver said.
Welliver also said the incident happened about two-tenths of a mile away from Boonville High School. He said the Boonville Police Department is not taking any additional safety measures in light of the assaults.
“If you feel in danger, call 911, escape —- just your general basic rules,” he said. “There’s no way the police department is going to stop everyone that’s going to commit a crime. It’s impossible to do.”
Welliver said his best advice is for people to take caution.
“There was many, many people in (the gas station) when (Rehkop) walked in, and no one stopped him, so that just tells you how hard it is to prevent these things,” he said.