A D.C. man was sentenced Friday to life plus 12 months in prison for a 2018 rape in Arlington County, Virginia.
Salodus Zeloter Hicks, 63, was found guilty last September.
Circuit Judge Louise DiMatteo sentenced Hicks to life on the second-offense rape charge and the additional 12 months for a charge of assault and battery.
“Mr. Hicks never made any statements about what occurred, but the evidence did all the talking for him,” Arlington police Chief Andy Penn said in a statement.
“The persistent investigative work and prosecution led to an ultimate sentence that ensures a sexual predator will never have the opportunity to target another member of our community.”
Police responded to a report of rape in the 5500 block of Columbia Pike — between Four Mile Run Trail and Leesburg Pike — around 4 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2018. The victim and Hicks had made contact through an online advertisement for massage therapy, police said.
After Hicks arrived for the massage appointment, he asked for sexual services; when the victim refused, he strangled and raped her, authorities said.
On Sept. 26, 2018, when police tried to execute search and arrest warrants at Hicks’ Northwest D.C. home on Mt. Pleasant Street, he barricaded himself inside.
After 16 hours, Hicks surrendered and was taken into custody.
Inside the home, authorities found more evidence linking him to the rape.
“I’m grateful to the survivor for her courage in testifying against her attacker, and to the police and our trial team for their dedication in investigating and prosecuting the case,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said in a statement.
“A life sentence is severe, but warranted, because Mr. Hicks previously had been convicted of rape. Our duty — first, last and always — is to protect the community from the sort of harm Mr. Hicks caused while affording him a fair trial, and we did that.”
