Man accused of kidnapping, raping women in several states arrested

NEW YORK — A man accused of kidnapping and raping women across several states has been arrested in upstate New York after driving his truck into a river during a police chase, law enforcement officials said on Wednesday.

Gregory Lewis, 26, is suspected of traveling the United States on a weeks-long violent crime spree after he was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl and he fled Massachusetts during the summer, the Massachusetts State Police said in a statement.

Lewis is accused of raping, kidnapping and robbing several prostitutes in North Carolina, Colorado and Oregon, as well as the armed robbery of a woman working for an escort service in Indianapolis, police said. Police said he was likely returning to Massachusetts when he was arrested.

New York state troopers arrested Lewis shortly before midnight on Tuesday in Fort Edward, a village of several thousand residents on the Vermont border, Massachusetts police said.

Troopers tried to stop Lewis for driving with a missing license place, police said. Instead, he fled in his blue Jeep Grand Cherokee but landed in a river running through the village, police said.

Witnesses reported seeing Lewis emerge from his sinking vehicle and brandish a gun, police said. He was arrested at the crash scene.

Lewis, who was jailed overnight, was scheduled for arraignment in New York’s Washington County on Wednesday, police said.

It was not immediately clear whether Lewis had a lawyer.