Man arrested for allegedly raping woman who passed out in Tigerland

BATON ROUGE - Police have arrested a 37-year-old Baton Rouge man after he allegedly raped a woman following a night of drinking at a popular bar near LSU's campus.

According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, the victim met up with a friend at JL's Place in Tigerland on Sept. 2 and proceeded to have a number of alcoholic drinks. The victim said she blacked out after a while, and the next thing she remembered was waking up on a stranger's couch with a man's genitals in her face.

Hours later, she remembers waking up again in the apartment with a man she had never met before, later identified as Romaro Matthews. Matthews then told the woman that she had flagged him down for a ride earlier. She then says she told Matthews to take her home.

According to police, a rape kit showed signs that the victim had been raped by Matthews. Police also received a photo which showed her lying on the ground, apparently unconscious, outside the bar prior to the incident.

In a previous traffic stop with police, Matthews had told officers he regularly helped pick up trash in the Fred's parking lot and sometimes gave people rides. An LSU spokesperson says Matthews worked at a Subway restaurant on campus at one point, but hadn't been employed there recently.

Matthews was taken into custody Wednesday morning and charged with one count of third-degree rape.