Man, 29, Charged In Attempted Rape

Man, 29, charged

in attempted rape

SEATTLE

A Redmond man has been charged with attempted first-degree rape after he allegedly attacked and threatened to kill a real-estate agent showing him a Bellevue home last November.

Thomas Wade Irby, 29, is accused of threatening the woman agent as they approached a back bedroom, striking her three times and choking her until she lost consciousness on Nov. 10 at the home in the 17700 block of Southeast 40th Place in Bellevue. When the woman awoke, her assailant was gone.

The case went unsolved until last week when a court probation officer informed King County police that Irby was believed to be the attacker.

Later, in a statement to police, Irby said he saw the woman putting the house sign out and got ``turned on.'' He told police his intent was to rape her but when she lost consciousness he became frightened because he thought he had killed her.

Bail was set at $100,000. He will be arraigned in King County Superior Court tomorrow.