Raleigh woman recounts break-in, sex assault

Antonio Maurice Dickens, 29, was charged with first-degree burglary and first-degree sexual offense. He was being held Tuesday in the Wake County jail under a $208,300 bond, pending an initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon.

The alleged crimes occurred early last Friday at an apartment on Holston Lane. Freda Vines said she felt someone touching her and awoke to find a strange man in her bedroom.

"There was a man beside my bed, squatted down, hoping I would not notice him,” Vines said.

WRAL News usually doesn't identify sex assault victims, but Vines agreed to speak about her case.

She said she screamed, and her boyfriend chased the man away from the house.

"He got out of there so fast. He got out of the apartment quick,” Vines said.

Authorities said fingerprints inside the home led them to Dickens.

Dickens has a criminal recording dating to 1999 and previous convictions including larceny, breaking and entering, assault by pointing a gun, assault on a female and assault on a government employee, according to state Department of Correction records.

Vines said that, despite Dickens' arrest, she doesn't feel safe anymore.

"I couldn't help but cry because I was so scared," she said.