By RAELYNN RICARTE
News staff writer
September 19, 2007

Hood River Deputy District Attorney Carrie Rasmussen is handling two unrelated rape cases — a situation that she finds unusual in a rural area.

However, she does not believe that any unusual pattern of violence has emerged to cause public concern. Rasmussen said the suspects were not acquainted and their alleged crimes were committed separately.

“I think it just happened that these two cases came up within a few days of each other,” she said.

Rasmussen will handle the separate arraignments at 11 a.m. in court today of Forge Dennis Mileham, Jr., 36, and Fidel Martinez Galvan, 29.

Mileham was arrested on Sept. 11 and indicted by a grand jury two days later for crimes against an Odell woman. He has been charged with: first-degree Rape I, second-degree Assault misdemeanor Strangulation, and first-degree Unlawful Sexual Penetration (two counts).

Galvan was arrested on Sept. 7 and indicted on Sept. 13 for crimes against a Hood River woman. He is charged with: first-degree Burglary (two counts), first-degree Attempted Rape, first-degree Sexual Abuse (two counts), and fourth-degree Assault.