DUNMORE, Pa. – A man wanted for raping a teenager has surrendered to police after living for nearly a month in the woods of Pennsylvania, eating worms and drinking from a creek to survive, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
Charles W. Lake, 39, had been sought by local and federal authorities since May 27, when police say he tied up, gagged and raped an 18-year-old woman at knifepoint inside her home.
Lake told police he heard police helicopters and felt compelled to surrender late Tuesday. He called 911 from a pay phone at a gas station and was taken into custody a few minutes later.
"He said, 'I knew you were looking for me, and I had nowhere to go,"' patrolwoman Alicia Hallinan, who interviewed Lake, told The Times-Tribune of Scranton. "'I have to face up to what I did."'
Lake told police he had been living in a cave in the woods and that he ate worms and drank water from a nearby creek to stay alive.
"What I did was wrong," he said early Wednesday as he was led from the district attorney's office, dressed in the same T-shirt and jeans he wore during the alleged rape.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.